EEB187 F08 Aquatic Communities Page 1 of 4 Syllabus EEB Aquatic Communities Fall 2008 Instructor: Patricia Halpin ([email protected]) Office: 413 Botany OH: Mon 2:30-3:30, Th 2:30-3:30 Lecture: Franz 2258A Text: Nybakken and Bertness, 2005. Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach Course Grade Based on 500 total points: Midterm Exams (100 pts each) 200 pts Final Exam 100 pts Discussion 180 pts Lecture participation 20 pts _________________________________________________________________________________________ Date Subject Reading R Sept. 25 Introduction, Air and Water Ch 1 T Sept. 30 Marine Habitats Ch 1 R Oct. 2 Rocky Shores Ch 6 T Oct. 7 Kelp Forests Ch 5 R Oct. 9 Soft Bottom Communities Ch 5, 6 (selected pp) T Oct. 14 Deep Sea Ch 4 R Oct. 16 Mangroves T Oct. 21 Coral Reefs Ch 9 R Oct. 23 EXAM 1 (100 pts) T Oct. 28 Ocean Pelagic Zone Ch 2 R Oct. 30 Ocean Pelagic Zone Ch 3 T Nov. 4 Freshwater Habitats R Nov. 6 Rivers T Nov. 11 No Class: Veterans Day R Nov. 13 EXAM 2 (100 pts) T Nov. 18 Rivers R Nov. 20 Estuaries Ch 8 T Nov. 25 Lakes (No Discussion Section R Nov. 27 No class: Thanksgiving Holiday meeting this week) T Dec. 2 Fisheries Ch 11 R Dec. 4 Aquaculture Ch 11 R Dec. 8 FINAL EXAM 3-6 PM (100 pts) _________________________________________________________________________________________EEB187 F08 Aquatic Communities Page 2 of 4 EEB 187 AQUATIC COMMUNITIES FALL 2008 LECTURE AND EXAMS The course has three equally weighted exams, 100 pts each. The exams are non-cumulative. The first two exams are during class sessions. The third exam will be held during the assigned final time. Exams are short answer. There are no make-up exams, students must take the exams during the assigned time. In addition, there will be in class self-evaluations and group work, worth 20 additional points. These exercises are all or nothing points, but students must attend class and participate for credit. DISCUSSION SESSIONS Overview: The discussion sections are centered around reading and critically evaluating the primary peer-reviewed literature. Students will be required to read papers from the primary literature and discuss them in section. Additionally they will either have an open-note online quiz on the papers before section or turn in answers to questions that critically evaluate the literature. For one paper, the students will hand in a more extensive critique, using the skills they have developed during the quarter. Readings for Discussion: Reading are available as pdfs on the class website. Reading Quizzes: Reading quizzes on the assigned readings are conducted through blackboard. They are available until midnight the night prior to section. They are open note. You may take the quiz more than once, but if you start a quiz a second time, you must complete the attempt. Quizzes are available from on weeks where a quiz is given (weeks 2, 4, 7, and 10) Questions: The questions are a written assignment due at the beginning of section in weeks 3, 5, and 6. The questions are designed promote critical reading and promote discussion during section. The questions are 1. What is the objective of the study and why is it important? 2. Did the authors approach and methods adequately test his or her hypothesis or answer the paper’s stated objectives? 3. What are the papers most important results? Justify your answer. 4. What are the authors conclusions and does the data support them? Are there alternative explanations that fit the data? Questions should be answered in complete sentences using clear, concise prose. Answers will be graded on thoroughness of answers, analysis, and clarity of prose. Maximum length: 1 page, double spaced. Paper Critique: In Week 8, students will turn in a formal paper critique on Bertness and Hacker (1994). This will be a more in depth analysis than that of the questions, but using skills developed during those assignments. Analysis includes and overview of the paper combined with evaluation of the strengths and merits of the papers. Critiques will be uploaded to Turn It In. Maximum length: 3 pages, double spaced. GRADING If the class average for cumulative points is above 75%, letter grades will be based on a straight percentage of the 500 point maximum: 90-100%=A+, 80-89%=B+, 70-79%=C+, 60-69%=D+, <60%=F. Within each letter grade, a minus (–) will be assigned to the bottom three percentage points and a plus (+) will be assigned to the top three percentage points (e.g., 80-82.9% is a B–, 87-89.9% is a B+). If the class mean is lower than 75%, we will lower the cutoffs somewhat to compensate (e.g., 89% may become an A–).EEB187 F08 Aquatic Communities Page 3 of 4 DISCUSSION SCHEDULE TA: Chris Chabot Office: LS A806 Office Hours: T-Th 11-12:00 Section 1A: W 9:00 Lakretz 120 Section 1B: W 10:00 Lakretz 120 _______________________________________________________________________________________ Dates/Topic Article Points Week 1, 9/29 Introduction None Week 2, 10/6 Sousa (1979) Quiz (10) Marine Diversity Participation (5) Week 3, 10/13 Raimondi (1988) Questions (20) Rocky Intertidal/Subtidal Participation (5) Week 4, 10/20 Byers (2000) Quiz (10) Soft Bottoms Participation (5) Week 5, 10/27 Doherty & Fowler (1994) Questions (20) Coral Reef Fishes Participation (5) Week 6, 11/3 Wooton et al. (1996) Questions (20) Streams Participation (5) Week 7, 11/10 Vander Zanden et al. (1999) Quiz (10) Lakes Participation (5) Week 8. 11/17 Bertness and Hacker (1994) Critique (40) Wetlands Participation (5) Week 9, 11/24 (No discussion sections this week) HOLIDAY Week 10, 12/1 Botsford et al. (1997) Quiz (10) Fisheries Lewison et al. (2004) Participation (5) _____________________________________________________________________________________ Grading for the discussion section is based on attendance, participation and homework. Attendance is mandatory and late homework is not accepted.EEB187 F08 Aquatic Communities Page 4 of 4 READINGS FOR DISCUSSION Week 2 Sousa WP (1979) Disturbance in Marine Inter-Tidal Boulder Fields - the Non-Equilibrium Maintenance of Species-Diversity. Ecology 60:1225-1239 Week 3 Raimondi PT (1988) Settlement Cues and Determination of the Vertical Limit of an Intertidal Barnacle. Ecology