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MAS 511 Marine Analytical Instrumentation 3 cr
The course will provide an overview of the major analytical tools
available to marine scientists in the laboratory. The focus will be
three-fold: (1) to provide an introduction to the theory behind major
classes of instrumentation, (2) to provide an overview of specific
applications of these tools in marine science, and (3) to provide
a ‘hands-on’ working knowledge of the instrumentation available at
the DISL. Prerequisite: Undergraduate degree in science with sufficient
Chemistry and Biology background.
MAS 520 Marine Resource Management 2 cr
Designed to acquaint graduate students concerned with management of
marine resources; development of legislation, evolution of policy,
legal processes, impacts on human resources. The emphasis will be
placed on living resources. Prerequisites: Admission to Graduate School.
MAS 521 Marine Conservation Biology 2 cr
The intent of this course is to develop the student’s understanding
of conservation biology, by building upon the foundations provided
in introductory marine ecology class. Assigned readings will be selected
from the widest possible range of topics in marine conservation. In
some cases, readings will come from disciplines outside the marine
sciences. Students will be required to develop a topical term paper
and give a short presentation to their class on their chosen topic.
MAS 530 Marine Microbial Ecology 3 cr
A general survey of the types of microorganisms found in the marine
environment. Emphasis will be on the interaction of microorganisms
with each other and with their environment. In particular, the role
of microorganisms in carbon cycling and biogeochemical processes will
be stressed. Readings from current literature will expose students
to the latest techniques and research.
MAS 540 Sediment Biogeochemistry 3 cr
To provide students with an in depth know- ledge of sediment biogeochemical
processes and the implications thereof on nutrient cycles, plant production
and animal distribution. Emphasis will be on early diagenesis in coastal
sub-tidal and wetland sediment systems. Prerequisite: Chemical Oceanography
or permission of instructor.
MAS 548 Marine Biogeochemical Processes 2 cr
The course will examine the interaction between biological, chemical
and geological processes in the marine environment. This will be done
by first reviewing the cycling of several of the major elements (e.g.
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and iron) in the sea, and then
examining how these cycles differ between various marine ecosystems
(e.g. open ocean surface waters, estuaries, coral reefs, seagrass
systems and tidal marshes). The focus will be on developing an understanding
of how biogeochemical processes serve to regulate ecosystem function
in these various habitats. Prerequisite: Organic chemistry, geology,
and marine ecology.
MAS 550 Fisheries Techniques 3 cr
Students are exposed to a detailed, semi- quantitative introduction
to current biological and technological methodologies for studying
fishes and aquatic habitats, with emphasis on study design and integration
across sub-disciplines. Prerequisites: Ichthyology (or Marine Vertebrate
Zoology) or an introductory course in Fisheries. Introductory Statistical
Methods would be valuable but not required.
MAS 555 Fisheries Oceanography 2 cr
Students examine the relationship between fish life history, recruitment
dynamics and harvest potential, and local-, meso- and global scale
oceanographic processes. Students are exposed to the evolution in
thinking on the role of interaction between biology and physics relative
to fish and fisheries. This “readings” type course, by design, is
geared toward student participation at an advanced and interactive
level.
MAS 570 Ocean Variability and Global Change 2 cr
This course will examine large scale, spatial and temporal variability
in the Earth/ ocean system as evidenced by present-day and paleo records.
Variability such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation will be covered.
It will critically evaluate the evidence for and the consequences
of modern global change as it pertains to the marine environment.
Emphasis will be placed on potential changes in climate, biogeochemical
cycles, hydrologic cycles, eutrophication/species diversity, and UV
light fluxes. Prerequisites: Permission of one of the instructors.
MAS 571 Marine Hydrodynamics/Biomechanics 4 cr
To present an introduction to the importance of small scale fluid
dynamics, thermodynamics, and solid mechanics to marine science and
to present techniques for measurement of important parameters. Prerequisite:
Upper-Division/Graduate standing in Biology or Marine Sciences.
MAS 573 Oceanography of the Gulf of Mexico 2 cr
This course provides a survey of the physics, chemistry, biology,
geology and meteorology of the continental margins and deep ocean
regions in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent waters. Prerequisite: Permission
of the instructor.
MAS 575 Marine Ecology 4 cr
The course covers general ecological principles and how they apply
to marine ecosystems. Both open ocean and nearshore waters are con-sidered.
Specific topics covered include: adaptations of marine organisms for
life in the intertidal vs. subtitle zones; different modes of feeding
and reproduction in marine organisms; and the importance of predation,
competition, adult/larval interactions and dispersal mechanisms. The
second half of the course is devoted to discussion of specific habitats
including: coral reefs, mangrove swamps, kelp forests, and hydrothermal
vents. Prerequisite: General Biology, Marine Biology, or Oceanography.
MAS 576 Benthic Ecology 2 cr
This course covers the evolutionary history and the ecology of marine
benthic communities from the earliest fossils to present. The importance
of scale and of proper study design will be considered. Other topics
include: predation, competition, adult/larval interactions and dispersal
mechanisms. There will be discussion of productivity, and materials
cycling in benthic systems. Special topics of students’ suggestions
conclude the course. Pre-requisite: Marine Ecology/or General Ecology.
MAS 579 Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics 2 cr
Coastal Ecosystem Dynamics will allow students to investigate the
basic principles of ecosystem structure and function. The course is
divided into 2 parts: an instructional phase for learning basics of
ecosystem modeling, and a student-led investigation of the structure
and function of a variety of coastal ecosystems. This approach will
give the student a set of quantitative tools for modeling ecosystems.
Also, students will learn to evaluate differences and similarities
of energy and nutrient processing in disparate ecosystems. There will
be one 2-hr class meeting each week during which students will learn
to use the ecological modeling software packages “Ecopath” and “Ecosim”.
During the initial period, students will “dissect” published models
(obtained from the internet) as a mechanism to understand the utility
of ecosystem modeling as well as the basics of this particular software.
The second half of the course will be devoted to student-constructed
ecosystem models. The models will be constructed from data and pathway
descriptions in Alongi’s `Coastal Ecosystem Processes` (CPR Press).
A synthesis of these models will be constructed and placed on the
WWW.
MAS 580 Marine Biogeography and Paleoecology 3 cr
This graduate level course will give students a broad overview of
the time course of evolutionary changes in the structure and function
of marine ecosystems, and will consider the interacting roles of both
historical and current factors as they influence the distribution
and abundance of marine organisms. Lectures will be mixed with discussions
of assigned readings from the primary literature to stimulate critical
thinking about various topics. Prerequisite: An introductory ecology
or marine ecology course.
MAS 581 Advanced Marine Ecology 2 cr
This course will improve students’ under- standing of ecological processes
by building upon the foundations provided in an introductory ecology
class. Emphasis will be placed on the mechanisms that control the
distribution of marine plants and animals at scales ranging from individual
organism to the ecosystem. Assigned readings from the scientific literature
will cover the entire range of marine habitats and will reflect classical-to-recent
thinking on the major concepts and problems in ecological theory.
Quantitative laboratory exercises will train students in the design
and statistical analysis of marine ecological studies.
MAS 582 Marine Larval Ecology 2 cr
This course introduces the student to the breadth of scientific research
involving larvae of marine animal populations. Though a small portion
of the course will be devoted to a taxonomic survey of the larval
forms of marine species, the vast majority of the course will be process-oriented,
often cutting across boundaries between biology, physics and chemistry.
The scope of the course will include nutrition and feeding, dispersal
and recruitment, bio-energetics, behavior, and biophysical coupling.
This course is reading intensive focussing on both historical and
topical articles from the primary literature. Prerequisites: Biological
Oceanography or Advanced Ecology.
MAS 583 Field Marine Science I 2 cr
The Field Marine Science course will consist of an 11 day field exercise
in representative coastal sites in Maine with emphasis on rocky intertidal,
kelp bed and eelgrass habitats. Two faculty members will accompany
the students, participate in the pre-trip readings and evaluate the
product developed by each student. Prerequisite: Marine Biology.
MAS 587 Seagrass Ecosystems Ecology 2 cr
A survey of current literature on topics related to the ecology of
seagrass ecosystems. Students will read assigned papers to be analyzed
in a faculty-lead discussion format. A final research paper will be
prepared by each student. Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.
MAS 588 Field Marine Science II 2 cr
The Field Marine Science course will consist of an 8-12 day field
exercise in representative coastal sites. Faculty members with diverse
interests will accompany the students, participate in pre-trip discussions
and evaluate the product developed by each student. The course is
designed to familiarize students with habitats and research conditions
different from those they experience on the Northern Gulf Coast. Field
trip locations are selected on the basis of faculty and student interest,
economics, and availability of logistic support. Students pay their
room and board costs for the field exercise. The course is primarily
for graduate students, but advanced undergraduates may enroll with
consent of instructor. Both MAS 588 and MAS 583 may be taken for credit
when each is taught in a different environment. Prerequisite: Senior
undergraduate or Graduate Status.
MAS 589 Marine Plankton 3 cr
The course familiarizes the student with the taxonomic breadth of
phytoplankton, bacterioplankton and zooplankton in estuaries, coastal
seas and open oceans. Though the focus of the course is on taxonomic
familiarization, basic biology (including reproduction and feeding)
of all major taxa represented in the plankton will be covered. Students
will learn fundamental, as well as ‘cutting-edge’, field, laboratory
and statistical techniques. Two hours of lectures each week will be
accompanied by two hours of hands-on laboratory work. Prerequisite:
Graduate status in one of the physical or biological sciences.
MAS 590 Special Topics 1-4 cr
An in-depth tutorial exposure to specific areas in the marine sciences.
Credit and title will be arranged to examine the subject matter in
an area of current interest to one or a group of students. Specialized
topics not currently listed in catalog course offerings. MAS 590 is
available to M.S. students - MAS 690 is available to Ph.D. students.
Prerequisite: Admission to Graduate School.
MAS 592 Seminar 1 cr
Students and faculty meet weekly in an interactive discussion of current
literature in marine sciences. The focus will be on “state-of-the-art”
theories and methodologies as they occur in the primary marine literature.
Student presentation is required to receive credit. Prerequisite:
Admission to the Graduate Program in Marine Sciences.
MAS 594 Directed Studies 1-4 cr
Independent research, not related to the thesis, under direction of
a member of the graduate faculty. May be used to learn new techniques
or explore research questions of special interest. A maximum of 4
hours may be earned for this course toward the M.S. Prerequisite:
Admission to the Graduate Program in Marine Sciences.
MAS 599 Thesis 1-8 cr
Independent research by the student under the sponsorship of a member
of the department. Progress reports of the work accomplished are required
every six months. Prerequisite: Approved Committee.
MAS 601 Physical Oceanography 3 cr
Physical properties and circulation of the world oceans. Topics to
be covered include: basic physical laws, properties of heat, water
and salt budgets; waves; tides; large and small scale circulations;
sea-level fluctuations; interactions of the sea with the atmosphere
and land masses; light and acoustics. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate
program in Marine Sciences Biological Oceanography or equivalent.
MAS 602 Chemical Oceanography 3 cr
An in-depth examination of the chemistry of sea water and its relationship
with biological, geological, and physical processes in the oceans.
Coverage of sea water composition, buffering capacity, redox potential,
and photochemistry will form the basis for an in-depth analysis of
dynamic equilibria of gases, organic materials, nutrients, and trace
elements in the sea. Critical evaluation of recent primary literature
in chemistry oceanography will be used to illustrate state-of-the-art
research approaches.
MAS 603 Geological Oceanography 3 cr
Geological Oceanography encompasses the historic and current consequences
of both geo-physical and classic geological processes. Included topics
are tectonic theory and its development, sedimentary processes in
coastal and oceanic provinces, stratigraphy, structural geology, micro-paleontology,
erosion, diagenesis and the formation of hydrocarbons. Prerequisite:
Admission to the graduate program is Marine Sciences.
MAS 604 Biological Oceanography 3 cr
A comprehensive survey of marine organisms and their interaction including
pelagic and benthic communities of the oceans, coastal waters and
estuaries. Primary formation of particulate material, feeding processes,
kinetics of food webs, biogeochemical processes, patterns of distribution,
ecology of biotic systems, human interactions and current concerns
are topics to be covered. Pre-requisites: Masters degree in one of
the physical or biological sciences departments. Special considerations
to other students may be granted with permission of the instructor
and the student’s departmental chair.
MAS 690 Special Topics 1-4 cr
An in-depth tutorial exposure to specific areas in the marine sciences.
Credit and title will be arranged to examine the matter in an area
of current interests to one or group of students. Specialized topics
not currently listed in catalog course offerings. MAS 590 is available
to master students - MAS 690 is available to Ph.D. Students. Prerequisite:
Admission to Graduate School.
MAS 692 Seminar 1 cr
Students and faculty meet weekly in an interactive discussion of current
literature in marine sciences. The focus will be on “state-of-the-art”
theories and methodologies as they occur in the primary marine literature.
Student presentation is required to receive credit. Prerequisite:
Admission to the Graduate Program in Marine Sciences.
MAS 694 Directed Studies 1-4 cr
Independent research, not related to the dissertation, under the direction
of a member of the graduate faculty. May be used to learn new techniques
or explore research questions of special interest. A maximum of 4
hours may be earned for this course toward the Ph.D. degree. Prerequisite:
Admission to the Graduate Program in Marine Sciences.
MAS 799 Dissertation Research 1-8 cr
Independent research by the student under the sponsorship of a member
of the department. Progress reports of the work accomplished are required
every six months. Approved prospectus.
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