BIOEE 4940 - Special Topics in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Fall, spring. 1-4 credits, variable.

Staff.

The department offers “trial” courses or seminars under this number. Offerings vary by semester and are advertised by the department before the semester starts. Courses offered under this number will be approved by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Committee, and the same course is not to be offered more than twice under this number.

Spring Topic: Ecology and Biodiversity of Salish Sea Seagrass Beds

The course will teach transect-based methods of field survey of seagrass beds and their high biodiversity. Seagrass beds are classified as essential marine habitats based on their valuable ecosystems services and value as habitat for a high biodiversity of marine organisms. Method and projects will be implemented across a range of approximately 10 different seagrass beds in the Salish Sea, including Padilla Bay, the largest sea grass bed in the Continental US. Students will be responsible for a series of reading and discussion about ecology of seagrass beds and implementing simple projects.