A Series of Advanced Courses on the Light, Plankton and Benthos
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Special 25th Anniversary 1999 Summer Courses
Foundations of Marine Science
A Series of Advanced Courses on the Light, Plankton and Benthos
Bigelow Laboratory is pleased to announce its 1999 course offerings. The
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is a community of scientists whose
principal concern is the biology of the oceans. Many studies involve
marine phytoplankton and zooplankton - microscopic plants and animals that
are at the lowest levels of the ocean's food web and which sustain all life
in the sea. If they are at risk, all other life is at risk.
Many Bigelow scientists work on resources and environmental issues that
directly affect the people of New England. Bigelow research also has a
global scope; our scientists work not only in the Gulf of Maine, but all
over the world. Bigelow Laboratory also has educational programs catering
to all levels of students, with the express goal of disseminating
information about the marine environment. We offer undergraduate course
and internship opportunities through our affiliate, the University of New
England.
Five courses at the upper undergraduate level/graduate level are planned
for 1999. Courses carry either 2 or 4 graduate credits from the University
of New England for 1 and 2 week courses, respectively. Housing will be in
furnished facilities close to the laboratory. Applications will be
accepted beginning 1 January 1999. The deadline for applications is 8
weeks before each respective course. Course participation will be limited
to 8-10 individuals in order to provide maximum exposure for the student.
Participants will be chosen based upon their application materials as well
as the earliest dates on which a deposit is received. To register for the
course or for further information, please contact Ms. Jane Gardner at the
below e-mail address.
A light breakfast and lunch will be provided for participants during class
weekdays. Dinner means (including breakfast and lunch on weekends) are the
responsibility of participants and there are many good restaurants in the
area. The closest airport is Portland, Maine, and participants usually
rent cars at the airport and drive to West Boothbay Harbor (65 miles).
Taxi service is also available to and from Portland Jetport at reasonable
cost. Participants should plan to arrive on the Sunday preceding the first
class and depart on Saturday after the last day of classes (with the
exception of the Wahle course which involves a Saturday arrival in order to
do diver check-out).
Course descriptions are provided below. Included are instructors names,
number of credits earned, and course costs. Costs include tuition,
housing, and meals as described above. A deposit of $300 will be required
with each course application; the deposit is refundable until 8 weeks prior
to the course. The balance of the payment is required one month prior to
the course.
To register for a course or for further information, please contact Jane
Gardner. For further information about these courses, or for copies of
application materials, see our Home Page.
Bigelow Laboratory is an affiliate of the University of New England
Ocean Optics and Radiative Transport in Atmosphere and Ocean
24 May - 5 June
Dr. Andre Morel - Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Marines,
Villefranche-sur-mer, France
This course will cover the fundamentals of radiation: emission, absorption
and scttering. Using appropriate theories and meaurements as examples, the
course will address: 1) radiative transfer with absorbing-scattering and
emitting media, such as the atmosphere and ocean, and 2) scattering by air
and water molecues, aerosol and hydrosol particles. Special emphasis will
be put on the optics of phytoplankton and other marine protists, and on
their influence upon the optical properties (inherent and apparent) of
water bodies. Flourescence and Raman effects will be discussed. An
overview of the ocean color remote sensing interpretation (involving both
atmosphere and ocean) will be provided as a conclusion (4 credits).
Tuition: $2,961.00
Coccolithophores
7 June-11 June
Dr. E. Paasche
Section for Marine Botany, Department of Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo,
Norway
Dr. W. M. Balch
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Coccolithophores have received considerable attention recently because of
the global importance of one particular species, Emiliania huxleyi. This
course will cover the biology and physiology of Emiliania, particularly in
relation to photosynthesis and the production of calcium carbonate in the
form of coccoliths. The impact of these processes on the seawater CO2
system and their regulation by internal and external factors will be
discussed. Attention will be given to bloom dynamics, optics, and the
global carbon budget. The course will include experiments demonstrating
genetic diversity within the species, coccolith formation, light scattering
properties of coccoliths, and the quantification of coccoliths by
microscopy and flow cytometry.
Tuition: $1,481.00 Course Fee: $130.00
Physiological Ecology of Harmful Marine Phytoplankton
14 June-25 June
Dr. Maureen D. Keller
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
Dr. F. J. R. Taylor
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B. C., Canada
This course will provide a broad overview of the physiology and ecology of
marine phytoplankton with detailed analysis given to harmful algal species.
Emphasis will be placed on field identifications and isolation techniques,
as well as sampling methods and laboratory protocols. Unique aspects of
the nutrition and biochemistry of harmful marine phytoplankton will be
highlighted, including mixotrophy and heterotrophy. Specific life cycle
strategies and adaptations that lead to blooms will also be examined in
detail. The basic format will consist of a variety of morning lectures,
followed by afternoon field work or laboratory experiments.
Tuition: $2,961.00 Course Fee: $150.00
Methods in Underwater Ecology for Divers
26 July-31 July (Arrive /equip. Check: Sat. July 24)
Dr. Richard Wahle
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
From kelp beds to urchin barrens, the diverse subtidal habitats of the
central Maine coast are the backdrop for a focused immersion in underwater
ecological research methods at Bigelow Laboratory. This course is geared
toward undergraduates and beginning graduate students who are certified
divers and wish to learn how ecological techniques are applied using SCUBA.
Grounded in the principals of scientific hypothesis testing, we will
consider a range of methods to record observations of habitat, species
compositoin and abundance, and animal behavior in the subtidal environment.
Morning briefings and evening discussions will present case studies to
illustrate and critique methods. During mid-day dives we will implement
some of these techniques. For example, we will cover applications of
quadrat, transect, photographic, and video survey techniques. We will
discuss and apply manipulative experiments and tagging techniques to assess
demograhic processes such as mortality, migration, and growth in lobsters,
sea urchins, and other marine organisms. Divers will work in teams to
apply these methods while contributing to an ecological data base of sites
in surrounding waters.
Class Size: 8 Students for 4 Dive Teams
Prerequisites: Undergraduate courses in biology and ecology or permission
of instructor.
Certifications: Nationally recognized diver certification, CPR, First Aid
Diver health/injury insurance - DAN membership - covers hyperbaric injury.
Tuition: $1,481.00 Course Fee: $500.00
Phytoplankton Ecology
2 August-13 August
Dr. Ramon Margalef and Dr. Dolors Blasco
Institute de Ciencias del Mar, Paseo Joan De Borbo, S. N., Barcelona, Spain
The course will be a broad, integrative course, beginning with a
presentation of the mechanisms of local fertilization, with an historical
perspective from the work of Gran, Braarud, Bigelow, Harvey, Riley,
Strickland, Stommel and others. This will be followed by a discussin of
"in vogue" topics such as turbulence and diffusion as they regulate
production in the photic zone (e.g., cyclonic vs. anticyclonic systems),
"El Nino-like phenomena" in the context of interannual variability with new
examples from the Mediterranean and Bay of Biscay, and boundaries and their
dynamics in relation to phytoplankton ecology. The focus will proceed to
an introduction of fascinating general biology and the unsolved mysteries
of planktonic life that remain even after a century of research (e.g.,
dinoflagellate anatomy, effect of temperature on water content of cells,
feeding of planktonic animals). Finally, controversial issues related to
the impact of modern man on the oceanic environment (e.g., utilization of
the abyssal seafloor as a waste management option) will be addressed.
Tuition: $2,961.00