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MARINE BIOLOGY - MAR/BIO 226
DR. BRANDON O'BRIEN - KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
* This course is cancelled for 2025. Please check back next year.
Course Description:
This course is an exploration of the diverse flora and fauna of coastal and marine ecosystems, including their taxonomic diversity, biology, ecology, and evolution. We will discuss the chemical and physical attributes of marine ecosystems, and how climate change is profoundly altering life in the ocean.
This is a field-based course, where students will be immersed in hands-on experiences in marine biology across diverse ecosystems, including estuaries, saltmarshes, seagrass beds, tidal creeks, bays, coves, barrier islands, beaches, and intertidal zones. The influence of human activities and their ripple effects on these delicate ecosystems will also be examined.
Marketable Skills Gained from This Course:
General Description of Field Activities:
Approximate Amount of Time Spent in the Field:
50%
Prerequisites:
One year of Biology or consent of instructor.
Required Textbook or Supplies:
Field Notebook: Required, Write in the Rain “waterproof” notebook & writing utensil.
Number of Students:
9-14
2025 Chincoteague Bay Field Station Fee*:
3 week course; housing and meals included
Salicornia; $1,827
Traditional; $1,677
Fees are subject to change at the discretion of the board of directors
* Does not include university tuition or fees. For specific policy on CBFS fees, click HERE.
This course is an exploration of the diverse flora and fauna of coastal and marine ecosystems, including their taxonomic diversity, biology, ecology, and evolution. We will discuss the chemical and physical attributes of marine ecosystems, and how climate change is profoundly altering life in the ocean.
This is a field-based course, where students will be immersed in hands-on experiences in marine biology across diverse ecosystems, including estuaries, saltmarshes, seagrass beds, tidal creeks, bays, coves, barrier islands, beaches, and intertidal zones. The influence of human activities and their ripple effects on these delicate ecosystems will also be examined.
Marketable Skills Gained from This Course:
- Proficiency in field-based research skills for coastal and estuarine ecosystems including trawling, seining, plankton tows, water chemistry analysis, and sediment analysis.
- Ability to identify common organisms found in the mid-Atlantic region.
- Ability to read and evaluate scientific literature in the field of marine biology.
General Description of Field Activities:
- Shore-based and vessel-based organism collection and identification.
- Evaluation and quantification of components of the abiotic environment.
- Conduct field-based experiments on organisms in their natural habitat.
Approximate Amount of Time Spent in the Field:
50%
Prerequisites:
One year of Biology or consent of instructor.
Required Textbook or Supplies:
Field Notebook: Required, Write in the Rain “waterproof” notebook & writing utensil.
Number of Students:
9-14
2025 Chincoteague Bay Field Station Fee*:
3 week course; housing and meals included
Salicornia; $1,827
Traditional; $1,677
Fees are subject to change at the discretion of the board of directors
* Does not include university tuition or fees. For specific policy on CBFS fees, click HERE.
