Summer Courses in marine science at University of Washington

The following full-immersion courses courses in marine science are available this summer at the Friday Harbor Labs:

SUMMER SESSION A Jun 15-Jul 17 (5 weeks)
1) MARINE INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY (Biol 432)
2) FISH SWIMMING (Fish 565)
3) COMPARATIVE INVERTEBRATE EMBRYOLOGY (Biol 533)
4) MARINE ALGAE (Biol 539)

SUMMER SESSION B Jul 20-Aug 21 (5 weeks)
1) MARINE BIOACOUSTICS (Fish 507)
2) LARVAL BIOLOGY (Biol 533)
3) ESTUARINE AND COASTAL FLUID DYNAMICS (Ocean 590)

Applications are due February 1, 2009.
see: depts.washington.edu/fhl/studentClasslist2009.html

Marine Invertebrate Zoology
Biol 432 (9 credits) Gustav Paulay and Rick Hochberg

Comparative biology of marine invertebrate animals, focusing on morphology, natural history, functional biology, life history, and evolutionary relationships. Two daily lectures will provide overviews of the major and many smaller phyla, but the heart of the course comprises study of living animals in the laboratory and fieldwork in the diverse marine habitats surrounding San Juan Island. Applications are welcome from undergraduate students, post-baccalaureates and graduate students. Prior coursework in invertebrate biology or animal diversity is advisable but not essential. Enrollment is limited to 16 students.

Fish swimming: Kinematics, ecomorphology, behavior, and environmental physiology
Fish 565 (9 credits) Paolo Domenici and John Steffensen

Fish swimming is a multidisciplinary area of research that encompasses biomechanics, physiology, evolution, ecology and behavior. Knowledge of fish swimming is relevant both for students interested in mechanisms of locomotion, and those interested in locomotor adaptations to the environment.
The main subjects will be:
1) The kinematics and performance of swimming in fish using various
locomotory modes
2) The ecomorphology of fish locomotion
3) Locomotor strategies
4) Metabolic aspects of fish swimming
5) The effect of various environmental factors on fish swimming.
These topics will be treated in lectures and laboratory sessions. Students will learn techniques of video analysis, kinematics, energetics and respirometry. The first half of the course will have an emphasis on lectures and explanations of various techniques for studying fish swimming. In the second half of the course, emphasis will be placed mainly on laboratory work. Students will pursue independent research projects. These will be discussed between each student and the instructors, who will also suggest a number of relevant projects. At the end of the course, students are expected to present the results of their independent projects orally and as a written report in the format of a scientific paper. Enrollment limited to 12 students.

Comparative Invertebrate Embryology
Biol 533 (9 credits) Billie Swalla and Andrew Ransick

We will provide extensive hands-on laboratory experience with the fertilization and development of most invertebrate phyla including: Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, Brachiopoda, Phoronida, Bryozoa, Mollusca, Polychaeta, Chaetognatha, Echinodermata, Hemichordata and Urochordata. Lectures will focus on cellular and molecular analysis of evolutionary changes in development as well as reproduction and gametogenesis. We will emphasize morphological processes and discuss similarities and differences in embryos and how they develop. Several field trips will acquaint students with the rich invertebrate fauna of the San Juan Islands. We will read and critique original literature on Comparative Embryology. The class is at the graduate student level, but exceptionally qualified undergraduate students are also admitted. We encourage applications from foreign institutions and diverse scientific backgrounds. Enrollment is limited to 12 students.

Marine Algae
Biol 539 (9 credits) Paul Gabrielson and Charles O’Kelly

The theme of this class is principles, methods, and applications of marine algal biodiversity studies, in particular the macro- and microalgae of benthic environments. Students will learn classical and contemporary methods for the identification, classification, and phylogenetic analysis of algae; the theories underlying the methods; the application of biodiversity information in (for example) benthic ecology, cellular evolution, and natural products exploration. Students will gain practical experience in such tools as: specimen collection, preservation, and databasing; light and electron microscopy; DNA isolation and sequencing; computational approaches to phylogeny reconstruction. Field work will be extensive, as the diverse and species-rich aquatic habitats on and around San Juan Island provide ideal sites for the examination of both macroalgal and microalgal diversity. We will emphasize the use of combined approaches to answer questions; individual and group projects will use morphological, ecological and molecular data to assess the diversity of algal populations and interpret that diversity in its ecological context. A sample question: “What is the best way to find out how many species make up a ‘green tide’ algal bloom?” At the end of the course, students should be able to use several of the tools now available to identify and classify algae and to critically assess the value of these tools in studies of algal biodiversity and marine benthic ecosystems.
This is a course appropriate for marine biologists, botanists and oceanographers with interests in marine biodiversity, conservation biology, coastal ecology with an emphasis on primary producers, and commercial applications of algae. The class is at the graduate student level, but exceptionally qualified undergraduate students will be considered. Enrollment is limited to 12 students.

Marine Bioacoustics
Fish 507 (9 credits) Chuck Greene

his course will be held to train advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral investigators in the fundamental principles of marine bioacoustics. The primary goal of the course is to provide students with a broad understanding of the acoustic tools and techniques used to study marine organisms in their natural environment. Lectures include the following subjects: Principles of Underwater Sound, Signal Processing, Zooplankton & Fisheries Acoustics, Marine Mammal Bioacoustics, Acoustic Tracking, Assessing Distribution & Abundance, Predator-Prey Ecology & Behavior, Data Management, Analysis & Visualization.

Many experts in the field will be brought in to participate in the instruction. Students have a unique opportunity to work side by side with active scientists using state-of-the-art tools and techniques. Enrollment limited to 15 students.

Larval Biology
Biology 533 (9 credits) Richard Strathmann and Richard Emlet

Emphasis is on functional requirements and constraints for embryos, larvae, and juveniles of marine animals. Topics include parental investment per ovum, fertilization, parental protection and retention of embryos, extraembryonic nutrition, larval feeding and swimming, functional morphology of embryos and larvae, dispersal, settling, mortality, recruitment, effects of larval nutrition on performance of juveniles, juvenile ecology, and evolutionary transitions between modes of development. The course includes short research projects by groups of 2 or more students with a short written paper from each project. Enrollment limited to 12 students.

Estuarine and Coastal Fluid Dynamics
Ocean 590 (9 credits) Parker MacCready and W. Rockwell Geyer

This course is intended for graduate students, typically in their second year of study or beyond, and focused on the Physical Oceanography of estuarine and coastal systems. It consists of intensive lectures on basic fluid mechanics for scales relevant to estuarine and coastal systems, lectures and readings on estuarine and coastal fluid dynamics, and field experiments in nearby waters, complemented in some cases by numerical simulation. Students will complete a final written report and talk on individual research projects. Enrollment limited to 12 students.

Visit depts.washington.edu/fhl/studentClasslist2009.html