Marine Biology (BIOL 4392 / BIOL 5392)

Alternate Fall Semesters @ TTU

​

This course provides an introduction to the marine habitat, with a focus on understanding the biological basis behind modern problems and issues in the marine sphere, particularly those in Alaska. The class is divided into 4 main sections. The first section will introduce you to the ocean as a physical habitat, and will cover topics such as ocean currents and structure, climate regimes and arctic warming. The second section introduces the organisms that form the base of the marine food web, and focuses on features that influence ocean productivity and food webs. With this understanding of abiotic and biotic features that influence communities in the open ocean, we will move into the third portion of the course, where we will discuss the challenges to life, and the diversity of life in several regions (benthos, deep sea, intertidal, estuarine). In each region we will focus on local Alaskan issues, and discuss potential threats and human impacts. Each section will have a reading and writing assignment taken from the primary literature. There will be one midterm, 4 case study assignments, and final exam. Guest speakers will present information on local Alaskan issues from a variety of perspectives.  

 

 

Animal Behavior (ZOOL 4312/5312)

Alternate Fall Semesters @ TTU

​

In this course, we will examine the many ways that animals interact with other organisms and their physical environment. If you define behavior as a change in the activity of an organism in response to some external or internal cue or combo of cues (or stimuli) then in order to fully understand any particular behavior, we want to know what causes it, how it develops in an individual, how it benefits an organism, and how it evolved. These questions can be addressed at multiple levels ranging from proximal causes (genetic, neural, endocrine) through ultimate ones. These are the evolutionary pressures which produce adaptive changes through natural selection on behaviors that increase an organism's fitness. This course will focus more on ultimate mechanisms than their genetic or molecular underpinnings, and will focus on how learning, cognition, communication, and time budgets, interact to produce complex behaviors such mating strategies and breeding behaviors, foraging patterns, and social behaviors, and even migratory patterns. Throughout, we will consider how human activities and ongoing ecological shifts influence animal behaviors, and how understanding the underlying causes for observed behaviors may provide insight into animal conservation and management.

​

​

 

Going Viral: #SciComm and Social Media (Honors 1301: H03)

Occasional Fall Semesters @ TTU

Going Viral: #SciComm and Social Media is a first-year honors studies course for students who want to learn more about how to best communicate science to the public. The course is team taught by a professor of biology and a professor of professional communication. It begins with an examination of scientific communications and methods of storytelling in social media. From this foundation, the course explores how words, pictures, and multimedia can be used to enhance effective scientific storytelling in social media channels. In each of the course’s four units, students will consider current scientific topics as they are produced, promoted, and debated in social media. Students will also have the opportunity to engage with scientists and science communicators about these topics.

​

Special Topics: Antarctic Ecology (BIOL 4301/6301)

Occasional Spring Semesters @ TTU (Previously @ UAA)

​

This course will explore the Antarctic terrestrial and marine ecosystems, with a focus on how species are adapted to their extreme habitat, and how climate changes and human activities are impacting biological systems. While a variety of habitats will be covered the emphasis will be on the marine and nearshore environments, particularly of the Ross Sea. While lectures will be based from the textbook reading assignments, I will also include information from a wide variety of sources. Lectures are available on blackboard, but not all lecture material is detailed on the PowerPoint slides. 

​​​​​​​​​

Special Topics: Ecophysiology (BIOL 4301/6301)

Occasional spring semesters @ TTU (Previously @ UAA)

​

​

This course presents the physiology of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial animals, with an emphasis on understanding how different species have adapted to their habitat.  As such we will approach most topics from a comparative perspective. In the class, students develop an understanding of how the environment that animals live in impacts their physiology and behavior. Initial lectures introduce students to the variety of challenges that animals face, and the basic physical laws that govern all physiological processes. Subsequent lectures compare how different species have adapted to particular physiological stresses imposed by unique habitats. Students then apply this knowledge to predict expected physiological mechanisms for animals in particular environments. Lectures approach problems experimentally and acquaint students with the techniques used to determine physiological status. Once students have achieved an understanding of the comparative approach to the study of animal physiology, they will be better able to understand animal behavior and ecology. Because I have yet to find a text book that contains all the information I want to teach, I will be lecturing from a variety of sources and texts. Your reading assignments will be from the main text (Hill) and from handouts provided in class or on blackboard. The assignments are meant to support the lecture, but often will not cover all the information / detail presented in lecture. This means that it will be important to attend class, and to take good notes. You will be tested on what is covered in class and the concepts in the reading assignments and problem sets

 

 

 

Special Topics: Marine Mammal Biology 

Occasional spring semesters @ TTU (Previously @ UAA)

​

This course is an introduction to the biology and ecology of marine mammals, with an emphasis on understanding how they are adapted to their habitat, and their role in the marine ecosystem. As such we will approach most topics from an evolutionary perspective. Students will develop an understanding of marine mammal evolution, and the physiological, reproductive and behavioral changes that resulted from their reentry into the marine habitat. Students will then apply what they know about basic biology in order to understand the role that marine mammals play in ocean ecosystems, and discover how researchers have applied tools from a number of disciplines in order to work on these large, elusive mammals. Once students have achieved an understanding of marine mammal ecology, and the limitations inherent to working with these animals, they will address issues such as population management and conservation using topics that are current in the popular and scientific press. They will then use their problem solving skills to derive biologically appropriate solutions to modern management issues. The lecture portion of the class will present relevant information contained in the text and other sources.   Graduate students must also attend a weekly discussion section, in which they will read, present, and review primary literature. 

 

 

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate students interested in conducting research in my laboratory should contact me. We typically have 1-2 students working in the lab each semester. Students interested in conducting research should have a minimum of 8 hours per week to devote to their project.