Marine Biology

Instructor: Nicole Traicoff

This course will teach the basics of biology and life sciences while focusing on oceanography and marine biology. We explore the undersea world, going through the different habitats and phyla of ocean life including: ocean life zones, sharks, rays, fish, ocean mammals, kelp, plankton and so much more! This course is loosely based on the Young Explorers series from Apologia, but there is no textbook requirement. Students will learn the fundamentals of the scientific method through simple experiments, demonstrations and dissections, learn and practice good note-taking skills and how to research and form written and oral reports. Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class time on homework.

Students will need Notebook, access to color printer and good internet, pens/pencils.

Oceanography & Taxonomy
- Ocean Life Zones and Habitats
- Ocean Currents
- Waves forces and Ocean Circulation
- Ocean Nutrients
- Taxonomy

Plankton and Porifera
- phytoplankton and zooplankton
- raising our own plankton (if supplies allow)
- porifera (unit on sea sponges)

Echinodermata and Cnidaria
- Echinoderms
- Sea star dissection
- Cnidarians
- Coral Reefs

Fish and Sharks
- Osteichthyes (bony fish)
- conservation of fish and sustainable fishing practices
- Chondrichthyes (sharks, skates and rays)

Mollusca
- Phylum Mollusca
- Mollusk presentations
- Squid dissection

Marine Mammals
- Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises
- Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses
- Other Marine Mammals
- Marine Mammal Conservation
Prerequisite: Taxonomy Unit

Ocean Exploration and Conservation
- how we explore the ocean
- designing your own ocean exploration vessel
- ocean conservation threats and solutions
- ocean conservation art projects