303-10900-01                                           Life in the Ocean                                               2004

MWF 2:00 - 2:50pm,   Textor 102

Instructor: Dr. Nancy Jacobson

Office: CNS 256     Tel.: 274-1837     Email: jacobson@ithaca.edu

Office Hours: M, W 3:00-4:00pm, T 4:00-5:00pm, or by appointment

Course Description: We will study the diversity of life found in the ocean with special concern about how ocean life impacts and is impacted by humans. Threats to ocean diversity will be looked at from the standpoint of their effects on both individual organisms and various ocean ecosystems.

Textbook:    Castro, P. and M. Huber. 2003 or 2005. Marine Biology, 4th or 5th Ed. McGraw‑Hill Higher Education: Boston. 

WebCT: 

The syllabus, partial outlines for lectures, study guides, and announcements will be posted on the WebCT site for this course.  You will also be able to see your grades at this site.  If you do not know how to use WebCT, please pick up the two-page guide at the end of class (it includes how to forward your WebCT email to your normal email account (Ithaca.edu, yahoo, aol, etc.)  If you are uncomfortable with the internet in general, TELL ME so we can go through it together to make sure you can get to the materials. 

Presentations:


You have the option of doing a PowerPoint presentation as part of a group instead of taking one of the lecture exams (and so is worth 50 points).  A group presentation is NOT easier than an exam.  Only 15 students will be able to take this option.  I suggest you consider this option only if one or more of the following applies:

 

1. You are a theater-arts major and will be in a major production during part of the semester.

2. You would like the challenge of reading scientific literature and working in a group.

3. You are really interested in one of the three topics:  Dolphins, Coral reef fishes, or Salmon. 

4. You are terrible at taking multiple choice exams (if this is true, you may not want to take this course at all).

 

If you are interested in this option, click here for more information.  Then, sign up for the topic you want on the discussion board.  You will not be able to sign up until September 2 (as soon as the add/drop period is over).  Each group will consist of a maximum of five students.  Each group will have their own discussion board once group membership is determined.

 

Tentative Lecture Schedule:

Week

Topic

Readings

1 Aug 25-27

Introduction, Science

Chap. 1

2 Aug 30-Sept 3

Ocean basins, Diversity of Life

Chaps. 2, 4

3 Sept 6-10

Labor Day (no class)

Bacteria, Protists, Fungi, and Plants

Animals without backbones

 

Chaps. 5, 6

Chap. 7

4 Sept 13-17

Animals without backbones

 

5 Sept 20-24

Lab in CNS 202, must sign up for a time (10 pts)

Animals with backbones – Fishes

 

Chap. 8

6 Sept 27-Oct 1

Exam 1

Fisheries, Mariculture, Seafood choices

 

Chap. 17

7 Oct 4-8

Animals with backbones – Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, inc. Whales

Chap. 9

8 Oct 11-15

Whales

Ecosystems

Fall Break (no class)

 

Chap. 10

9 Oct 18-22

Exam 2

Rocky Intertidal

Rocky Subtidal – Kelp Forests

 

Chap. 11

Chap. 13

10 Oct 25-29

Soft-Bottom Coastal Communities

Chaps. 12, 13

11 Nov 1-5

Estuaries

Nutrient & Toxic Pollution

Oil Pollution, Species Introductions

Chap. 12

Chap. 18

12 Nov 8-12

Coral Reefs

Chap. 14

13 Nov 15-19

Exam 3

Open ocean, Ocean depths

 

Chaps. 15, 16

Thanksgiving Break

 

 

14 Nov 29-Dec 3

Global concerns

Chap. 18

15 Dec 6-10

Presentations

 

 Dec 15, 1:30– 4 pm

  (Wednesday)        

Final Exam

 

 

Course Policies

Attendance: It is the general policy of Ithaca College that all students are expected to attend classes and are responsible for all material even when absent. Both regular attendance and conscientious studying are necessary to pass the course.

Exams: All lecture exams will be entirely multiple-choice. The final exam will consist of the 4thlecture exam, multiple‑choice questions taken from the previous three lecture exams, and an essay question that is comprehensive in nature. Make‑up lecture exams will be entirely essay (no multiple choice). Make‑up exams will be given only for those with an excused absence. Excused absences are those due to: illness or accident (you need a note from a doctor or the name and telephone number of the doctor at the health center), death in the immediate family (I must get notification from the Dean's office), or a College‑sponsored trip (a note from an appropriate faculty member). Please contact me before (when possible) or immediately after the scheduled exam so that we can arrange for a make‑up exam.

Disabilities: Students with disabilities are welcome in this class.  Those whose disabilities have been documented should see me and the office of Academic Support Services for Students with Disabilities to determine the best means of accommodation.

Conduct:  Cheating on exams and plagiarism in written assignments (including the lab handout and extra-credit assignments) will not be tolerated and will be grounds for a zero on that exam or assignment.  More than a single instance of cheating or plagiarism will be grounds for dismissal from the course.  Please check the library website for what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it (go to the library web site, click on Electronic Research and Reference, then click on Writing – Plagiarism).

 

Grading

Keep track of your scores. You can figure out how you're doing at any time by adding up the number of points you have so far, dividing that number by the number of points that were possible to earn by that time, and multiplying by 100. Grades will not be curved.  Final grades will be determined accordingly:

 

Exams 50 x 3

 

    150  _____  _____  _____ 

 

Lab

 

      10  _____

 

Final Exam*

 

      75  _____

 

Total Possible Points

 

    235  _____

*The final exam will consist of two parts: Exam 4 (50 pts) and a comprehensive part consisting of multiple choice (20 pts) questions taken from the previous 4 exams and an essay (5 pts).

There will also be a number of opportunities to earn 3 points of extra credit (e.g., attending a seminar, reading a paper on reserve).  You are allowed a total of 6 points of extra credit for the semester.  So stay alert  : )

Grades are usually assigned according to the following percentages:

 

 

 

B+    87-89

 

C+     77-79

 

D+    67-69

 

F     below 60%

 

A     94-100

 

B      84-86

 

C       74-76

 

D      64-66

 

 

 

A‑    90-93

 

B‑     80-83

 

C‑      70-73

 

D‑     60-63

 

 

 

Potentially important dates (though hopefully not):

September 1     Last day to ADD / DROP

September 15   Last day to request PASS / FAIL

November 5     Last day to withdraw with a "W"