Instructors:  Alison Cawood and Miriam Goldstein
Instructor Email: acawood@ucsd.edu; mgoldstein@ucsd.edu
Prerequisites: AP Biology, English writing or composition course. All students must complete a swim test that is administered by a Certified Lifeguard or American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor.

Course Description: Most animals are invertebrates. And most invertebrates live in the ocean. This course will introduce students to the diversity of marine invertebrates, which comprise the vast majority of animal life on Earth. We will cover the major body plans of the ~35 currently recognized phyla, their evolutionary relationships, and their ecological roles in marine environments. Many of these groups of animals can only be found in the ocean, but are exceedingly important to life on land. This course covers material that is fundamental to the student interested in organismal biology of any kind, and is a classical introduction to marine ecology. A hands-on atmosphere is emphasized with a focus on live animals.

Course Objectives: By the end of the course students will:

• Be able to recognize animals in each of the major phyla with a rudimentary understanding of its way of life, even for species that are new to them.
• Be familiar with the many common invertebrates found in the dominant marine habitats of southern California, including (but not limited to) the rocky intertidal, eel grass beds, kelp forests, sandy and muddy bottoms, and salt marshes.  
• Possess an understanding of how all animal life is related.

Lab and field components will be a major part of this class.  Field trips involve getting wet and dirty.

Expectations:

Field work is a major part of this class and students must be willing to get wet and dirty. We will be doing almost daily dissections, so students uncomfortable with dissection may want to consider another class. Students will produce their own scholarship, work hard, and complete reading assignments outside of class. Students are expected to be punctual and respectful of classmates and the teachers. Participation in the form of questions and discussion is expected. Curiosity is a must. Cell phones (during class activities) are prohibited.

Course Outline:

Week 1: Lectures and labs on:

Sponges

Cnidarians (jellyfish and anemones)

Ctenophores (comb jellies)

Playthelminthes (flat worms)

Nematodes (round worms)

Nemerteans (ribbon worms)

Smaller phyla (Echiura, Kinorynchs etc.).

Field trip to the rocky intertidal

Week 2: Lectures and labs on:

Mollusks

Annelids (segmented worms)

Arthropods

Bryozoans (moss animals)

Brachiopods

Echinoderms (sea stars and allies)

Field trip to the SIO invertebrates collection and evening field trip to nightlight for nocturnal animals

Week 3: Lectures and labs on:

Hemichordates

Chordates (sea squirts)

Assorted smaller, lesser-known phyla

The natural history and ecological role of invertebrates in local habitats:

Rocky intertidal

Kelp forest

Fouling community

Salt marsh/mud flat

Nearshore pelagic

Deep sea

Field trip to Birch Aquarium, and snorkeling trip in the La Jolla kelp forest