Biology of Marine Organisms
Erin Meyer-Gutbrod
In the course MSCI 311: The Biology of Marine Organisms, students learned about growth, reproduction, and adaptation of the major phylogenetic groups that live in intertidal, coastal, and pelagic environments. Climate change is altering fundamental oceanographic processes, including warming and heat waves, increased storm frequency, ocean acidification, melting glaciers and sea ice, and sea level rise. Students learned how these physical changes dramatically alter biological processes. In an extra credit assignment, students were encouraged to draft letters to public officials explaining a marine conservation issue and advocating for solutions to mitigate human impacts to marine ecosystems. This exercise introduces a time-honored technique for civic engagement and empowers students to become active citizens in their community.
Click a title below to read letters our students sent about environmental topics of interest!
