BIOL 486 [M] Marine Invertebrate Communities (3 credits)
Summer 2024 (field work May 8 – 14)
Instructor: Dr. Michael S. Berger (msberger@wsu.edu)
Biol 486 [M] (Marine Invertebrate Communities) 3 credits (1-6). Survey of marine invertebrates and their habitats. This will be a field immersion course conducted in southern Oregon coastal communities in the Coos Bay, Oregon area. The aim of this course will be to observe marine invertebrates in their native habitats. We will take a natural history approach to explore rocky intertidal, sandy beach, estuarine, mud flat, deep-water subtidal, and sand-dune communities. Invertebrates collected in the field will be closely examined in a lab at a marine station. By the end of the course you will have an in-depth understanding of the diversity of invertebrates in a variety of marine communities. The field portion of the course will be held off-campus on Wednesday 8 May through Tuesday 14 May. Additional meeting dates on the Vancouver campus: May 6-7 (11:00 am – 3:30 pm), 17 (11:00 am – 2:00 pm), and May 30 (11:00 am – 2:00 pm). Enrollment will be limited to 15 students. Course fees will cover transportation from WSU Vancouver, lodging, and 3 meals per day (lunch and dinner). This course will fulfill Biology and Environmental Science elective or options credits.
Physical Requirements: Many of the field sites visited throughout this course will be in remote areas and accessible only by walking. Intertidal field sites may be slippery and have uneven surfaces that will require careful navigation.
Prerequisites: Biol 106.
Course fee = $700