PROF. PAUL H. YANCEY -- MARINE BIOLOGY COURSE

Humpback whales feed in the rich waters of Alaska in early Autumn in preparation for their long migration to Hawai'i
Professor Yancey in the Alvin submersible

MARINE BIOLOGY
Bio 178,179; 278,279

Whitman College
Walla Walla
Washington, USA
The 2002 class at Eagle Cove, San Juan Island
An osprey takes flight on Providenciales Island, Turks and Caicos
178/278: 3 credits, Spring Semester lectures
179/279: 1-credit Field Trip to San Juan Island, Washington, over Spring Break
Note this year's field trip is Mar. 21-27!
ENROLLMENT is LIMITED on this trip so register early!
COURSE MATERIALS: GO TO: Course/assignment outlines: Biol 178 or Biol 278 Go to: Marine Web Resources


Scyphozoans (jellyfish)
CLICK PICTURE FOR A MPG Movie 		LECTURES: This course studies life in the oceans from the intertidal to the deepest trenches, with emphasis on anatomical, physiological, biochemical adaptations to major biotic and abiotic environmental factors.
Bio 111 and 112 (or equivalents) are prerequisites.
A typical outline of lectures is:
I. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: a survey of the major physical, chemical, geological, and biotic factors and how they affect marine life
II. MARINE LIFE and III. MARINE ECOLOGY
IV. BENTHIC HABITATS: types of organisms in the intertidal, subtidal, and deep-sea bottom habitats, and their major adaptations
V. PELAGIC HABITATS: types of organisms in the epipelagic and deep-pelagic, and their major adaptations
VI. HUMANS & OCEANS: examination of the impact of human activity on marine habitats and life.
Studying zonation in the rocky intertidal

A rare basket star collected from Puget Sound

THE FIELD TRIP

A week-long field trip is a separate course, usually held at the University of Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories on San Juan Island. There is a fee of $200 to cover food and lodging.

The field trip includes a day-long collecting trip on the UW research ship, trips to rocky, sandy and muddy intertidal sites, rowing to kelp-bed study sites, net collection of plankton in the day and night (with bioluminescence), laboratory studies on organism adaptations, and individual projects.


U. W.'s Friday Harbor labs, site of our usual field trip
This year's FIELD TRIP is the second week of spring break in March. We will depart Mar. 21 and return on Mar. 27. During the outbound and/or return trips, students can be picked up/dropped off in the Eastgate/Bellevue (Seattle) area.
Scenes from recent March field trips:

(2000) On the ferry approaching Friday Harbor, San Juan Island (Puget Sound)
(2005) Studying a mudflat (False Bay)
(2004) Sinking into
the mudflat while examining animals

(2004) Aboard the Centennial,
University of Washington-
Friday Harbor Lab's research boat
(2005) Watching a seal cavorting
(2002) Anna helping the skipper bring in the
trawl catch on the Nugget

(2004) Investigating beach detritus
in a small cove on San Juan Island
(2002) Rowing out to the kelp beds
(2005) Garth -- At a rocky intertidal site

WEB RESOURCES FOR MARINE BIOLOGY:
These are useful links for finding out about marine research and careers around the globe:

CURRENT RESEARCH: EUREKA ALERT NEWS STORIES in OCEANOGRAPHY

These are general sites which link to many other sites:

For jobs/internships in and general information on Marine Biology: If you are interested in ways to help stop the degradation of the oceans,
check out San Jose State's non-profits organizations page.
Return to Top; GO TO Whitman Biology Home Page; GO TO Prof. Yancey's Home Page