2025-2026 Catalog

BIO 363 Functional Marine Ecology

This course will cover the fundamentals of marine ecology, with a specific focus on the functional roles that organisms play in driving ecological processes within marine and estuarine ecosystems. Course content will focus on the ecological, biological, and environmental processes that drive patterns across marine populations, communities and ecosystems including productivity, behavior, population dynamics, nutrient cycling, and community structure. An emphasis will be placed on understanding how anthropogenic changes impact different levels of marine organization and ecosystem function. The course may include field trips or excursions outside of the regular class times to allow for experiential learning in the local marine environments.

Credits

4 units

Prerequisite

Any 100-level Biology course (except BIO 103), AND either BIO 260 or BIO 270.

Core Requirements Met

  • Mathematics/Science