MAR 458 Marine Conservation Biology

Credit, four hours.
The intent of this course is to develop the students’ understanding of conservation biology by building upon the foundations provided in the introductory marine ecology class. The instructor will provide an introductory lecture designed to present: 1) the historical perspective for the assigned readings, and 2) a brief review of the basic ecological concepts covered in the assigned readings. In addition, field trips will round out the students’ understanding of how current conservation principles are applied in the marine realm. Assigned readings will be selected to cover the widest possible range of topics in marine conservation. In some cases, readings will come from disciplines outside of the marine sciences. Students will be required to develop a topical term paper and give a short presentation to the class on their chosen topics. Cross-listed as: BIO 458. Prerequisite(s): BIO 211, BIO 212; MAR 340; BIO 320 or MAR 455.