BIOL 3360: Marine Biology
Exercises:
       A schedule for when each exercise is due is in the class schedule.

    Exercise 1: Marine labs
Marine labs: Use a search engine or log onto the site maintained by Jeff Levinton, http://life.bio.sunysb.edu/marinebio/mbweb.html. This site provides links to various marine laboratories around the world. Select a marine lab located outside of North America, and learn about: where the lab is, what is done there, what specialties it is known for, what kind (if any) academic program is maintained there, etc. Then write and submit a typed 150-word summary description of that marine lab, using your own words!  Email me the name of your lab as soon as you decide, so you can establish priority (first come-first served).  Attach to your summary a copy of a world map with the location of the marine lab you studied clearly indicated (a world map can be downloaded here).  Also email your summary as a Word document, and copy into the Word document a picture of the marine lab (taken at 20-60 miles elevation) and the surrounding ocean using Google Earth.  Please see me if you need help with this program.  I'm sure you will enjoy it, it is great fun.

     Exercise 2: Literature search
Find and read at least five research articles published in peer-reviewed journals less than 5 years old about a specific topic in marine biology, and write a summary of each one.  Your topic must be approved by the instructor before finding your articles, and this will be the topic of your class presentation, and your final paper.  Please meet with me sometime to help with a topic.  These articles can be found at the UCA library (try Electronic journals and Research Databases), or on the internet.  Keep in mind that if found on the internet, it must be from a peer-reviewed journal; and this link will bring you to many marine biology journals.  You can find some references on the text website for each chapter under "For Further Reading" (e.g. Ch.1 reading) or the the Levinton website.  You can find many journals and journal articles on the web, especially Google Scholar.  Good examples of articles are found here.  For details of how to complete this assignment download the description of Exercise #2 as a PDF file.

    Exercise 3: Jobs in Marine Biology
Using an internet search tool like Google, Monster.com, search for "marine biology jobs", link to an indicated site, and learn about one job opportunity listed.  This needs to be an actual job offer for a job that is currently available. Email me the link, so no one else does the same job (first-come first get).  Turn in a typed page that includes the web address for the job listing, and a 100-word summary using your own words of the job description, location, education required, salary, duties, etc.

   Exercise 4: Policy Statements
Each student must come to class with two of their own policy statements, printed from a computer, to be handed in at the end of class. A policy statement is a suggestion for how to manage our marine resources. These should be as specific as possible so it is clear exactly how to implement your suggestion as a policy. These policies can be national, or international. You can base them on policy suggestions you find on the web, but your policy suggestions must be written in your own words (if your statement is clearly derived from one you found already written, you must provide proper attribution of the source, including title and web address).

To get some ideas about what policies might be needed, look at the emails that I have posted in our Yahoo Group, and read some of the many articles I placed there. Many of these emails cover subjects that have policy implications. Each student will have an opportunity to read their suggestions and to listen to critiques from other students.

Criticism that you should expect and be prepared to respond to are things like:
-How do you propose to pay for this?
-How do you expect to make/encourage people to agree to this?

These links might help with ideas.
http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news?p=marine+ocean+biology
http://oceancommission.gov/documents/prelimreport/welcome.html
http://www.globaloceans.org/globalconferences/2006/outcomes.html
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/oceans/
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/opis/html/policy.htm

    Exercise 5: Oral presentation
A 15-minute powerpoint presentation of your research subject given to the class, followed by two minutes of questions.  Your presentation will be graded on quality of content, clarity of presentation, and quality of responses to questions.  Download these instructions.

    Exercise 6: Final paper
A 2000 word report on your research subject, due during finals week.  This report should summarize the current knowledge of your research subject, make reference to published peer-reviewed literature from scientific journals, and relate you subject to human society.

    Optional Book report: This will count as much as midterm exam (100 pts), so your total possible points will be 700 instead of 600 for the course. 
Each student has the option to submit a 1,500 word (minimum) critical synopsis of one of the books listed below.  You may also suggest other books for my approval.  About 60% of the report should consist of a synopsis of the book, and 40% should consist of your personal commentary on particular aspects of the book with which you disagreed, which impacted you greatly, which seemed a waste of paper it was printed on, etc.  The 40 & 60% can be mixed in with each other and don't need to be in separate sections.  You may find these books in the UCA, or the public libraries.

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modified 11-4-07