MCCCD Official Course Competencies:

BIO145  2003 Fall - 9999

Marine Biology

1.

Describe how scientists study the oceans. (I)

2.

Compare and contrast the geological, physical, and chemical aspects of the ocean environment. (II)

3.

Distinguish between types of geological features in the ocean environment. (II)

4.

Relate the mode of action of tides, waves, and currents to the effects they have on topographical features. (II)

5.

List the properties of seawater and explain how seawater is a complex solution. (II)

6.

Describe the relationships between the biotic and abiotic portions of selected marine environments. (III)

7.

Distinguish between conformers, regulators, and selectors by their means of surviving environmental extremes. (III)

8.

Describe what happens to marine organisms when abiotic factors in their environment fluctuate. (III)

9.

Relate the distribution of a marine species to its range of toleration and the presence of abiotic gradients in the world's oceans. (III)

10.

Compare and contrast the various methods used by marine organisms to acquire food. (III)

11.

Identify the ways in which a particular marine organism defends itself against predators. (III)

12.

Explain the fundamental differences between asexual and sexual reproduction and how each is suited to particular environment conditions. (III)

13.

Describe examples of competition and coexistence in the ocean. (III)

14.

Compare and contrast the three types of symbiotic relationships. (III)

15.

Distinguish between colonies and individuals and describe the advantages of each of these modes of life. (III)

16.

Apply unifying theories of biology to classify organisms. (IV)

17.

Produce phylogenic trees and taxonomic keys for groups of selected marine organisms. (IV)

18.

Identify the general types of microscopic marine organisms. (IV)

19.

Categorize the major groups of marine plants using biochemical, structural, and ecological criteria. (IV)

20.

Distinguish between examples of the major invertebrate groups. (IV)

21.

Relate the structure of marine fish to their ability to live in their environment. (IV)

22.

Describe the life cycle of the sea turtle. (IV)

23.

Compare and contrast the ways of life of major types of marine birds. (IV)

24.

Explain how marine mammals are readapted to life in the ocean. (IV)

25.

Contrast the adaptations of toothed and balleen whales. (IV)

26.

Describe how organisms interact with their environments as individuals, populations, and species. (V)

27.

Identify adaptations of marine organisms and describe how they promote the success of the organisms. (V)

28.

Analyze the structure of a marine community utilizing data collected by modern methods.(V)

29.

Draw a food web diagram for marine community. (V)

30.

Predict the outcome of ecological succession in a marine community. (V)

31.

Identify the processes which occur in successful ecological systems. (V)

32.

Compare and contrast pelagic and benthic environments. (V)

33.

Identify the special problems met by marine organisms in a variety of marine ecosystems. (V)

34.

Describe the biotic and abiotic portions of several important marine ecosystems. (V)

35.

Explain how humans are having an effect upon marine environments. (V)

36.

Describe how humans presently utilize the oceans and their plans for future use. (V)

37.

Explain how new international agreements are regulating the use of the ocean in ways that are beneficial to all. (V)

MCCCD Official Course Outline:

BIO145  2003 Fall - 9999

Marine Biology

I. Introduction to marine biology

A. Scope

B. History

C. Methods of study

D. Current research

II. Ocean environment

A. Geology of the oceans

1. World ocean basins

2. Underwater topography

3. Plate tectonics

4. Shoreline features

B. Physics

1. Waves

2. Tides

3. Currents

4. Effects on shoreline features

C. Chemistry of the oceans

1. Properties of water

2. Solutions

3. Seawater

III. Challenges of the sea

A. Abiotic challenges

1. Struggle for survival

a. Organisms which conform to the environment

b. Organisms which regulate their internal environment

c. Organisms which select their environment

2. Effects of abiotic factors on marine life

a. Temperature

b. Salinity

c. Pressure

d. Dissolved oxygen

3. Distribution of marine life in relation to abiotic factors

a. Range of toleration

b. Abiotic gradients and global distributions

B. Biotic challenges

1. Eat or be eaten

a. Ways of acquiring food

b. Defending against predators

2. Reproducing with or without sex

a. Asexual reproduction

b. Sexual reproduction

c. Hermaphroditism

3. Competing against others

a. Limited resources

b. Intraspecific and interspecific competition

c. Avoiding competition

4. Living with others

a. Symbiosis

b. Colonialism

IV. Survey of marine life

A. Unity of life

1. Levels of organization

2. Origin of life

3. Evolution

4. Adaptation

5. Structure and function

6. Classification and phylogeny

B. Simple microscopic organisms

1. Monera

a. Bacteria

b. Cyanobacteria

2. Protista

a. Protozoa

2. Diatoms

3. Dinoflagellates

C. Marine plants

1. Seaweeds

a. Greens

b. Reds

c. Browns

2. Flowering plants

a. Grasses

b. Succulents

c. Shrubs

d. Trees

D. Marine animals

1. Invertebrates

a. Sponges

b. Radiata

c. Bilateria

d. Echinoderms

e. Protochordates

2. Vertebrates

a. Fish

1. Sharks and rays

2. Bony fish

b. Reptiles

1. Turtles

2. Sea snakes

c. Birds

1. Diving and wading birds

2. Soaring birds

3. Swimming and flightless birds

d. Mammals

1. Sea lions and seals

2. Dolphins and toothed whales

3. Balleen whales

V. Marine ecology

A. Concepts in ecology

1. Population biology

2. Distribution of organisms

3. Habitats and niches

4. Community structure

5. Food webs

6. Succession

7. Biogeography

8. Ecosystem analysis

9. Trophic structure

10. Energy and nutrient cycling

B. Marine environments

1. Pelagic

2. Benthic

C. Marine ecosystems

1. Estuaries

2. Tidal flats

3. Sandy shores

4. Rocky shores

5. Coral reefs

6. Deep ocean bottoms

D. Human influences on marine environments

1. Fishing

2. Pollution

3. Coastal development

E. Humans and the sea

1. Mariculture

2. Marine pharmaceuticals

3. Ocean mining

4. Energy from the ocean

5. Ocean exploration

6. Law in the sea