Science and Our Place on the Planet I: Intro to the Salish Sea Environment

Note:  this class will involve approximately five field trips to the marine environment during Wednesday classes, in addition to a mandatory nighttime tidepooling trip, Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 9:30-12 PM.

The Salish Sea is a Pacific Ocean inland sea that extends from northern British Columbia to the Olympia region of Washington State.  The sea is extensive, including the Strait of Juan De Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound, and many smaller bays and inlets.  It has a complex biology and environmental and cultural history. In this field course students will be introduced to the biology of the Salish Sea and will consider its environmental and cultural histories through to the present day.  We will learn to identify common marine species, and will seek an understanding of how the NW inland marine ecosystems work – from intertidal zones to the deeper pelagic waters.  We will also consider the threats to the marine environment and evaluate what is being done to preserve and restore its integrity.  Students will work in small groups to plan and conduct an original scientific study focused on the marine environment.

Texts:  Thomas Niesen: The Marine Biology Coloring Book.  Additional readings will be available on Canvas.

Credit/Evaluation:  Regular attendance and informed participation in classes and field trips, effort made to learn to identify species of marine algae, invertebrates, birds, fish, and marine mammals, and short writing assignments.  Two drafts of a group scientific field research project conducted in the marine environment.