This course is offered as part of the Spring Marine Studies (SMS) program.

A field-oriented introduction to the natural history of the Salish Sea focused on marine habitats and species of cultural and ecological importance. Students live at the Friday Harbor Labs, allowing immersive learning on the shores of the San Juan Islands. Lectures, field trips and lab exercises develop observational skills and knowledge of coastal organisms and their relationships with the environment. Human impacts are also discussed.

This course will provide students an opportunity to learn about the wide variety of ecosystems found in the Salish Sea through the study of geomorphology, oceanography, distributions of marine plants, animals and other life forms and the unique habitats that support them. Students will become proficient at applying material learned in lecture to first-hand observations to interpret spatial and temporal patterns in nature, species composition and the structure and function of Salish Sea biomes. Students will be able to evaluate how these are changing in response to increased anthropogenic influences and climate change.  The course topic is timely, as we enter the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Discussion topics will include physical geography/geomorphology, coastal oceanography, plant and animal taxonomy, morphology and adaptations for specific biomes, with an emphasis on the marine realm and species/habitats with strong ecological, cultural and/or economic importance. Through lectures and field trips, students will learn about microbes, invertebrates, plankton, plants, fish, birds, mammals and humans as members of vast, complex and interconnected food webs.

Students will participate in several field trips focused on observing the natural world and learn to identify organisms found throughout the Salish Sea. Laboratory activities will explore various life history strategies of representative marine species, illustrating how different stages of an organism’s life cycle can span different biomes and are influenced by interactions with the environment and other species. Both laboratory and field exercises will lean toward observational rather than experimental methods, and will include both descriptive and quantitative techniques.

Course topics include physical geography/geomorphology, coastal oceanography, plant and animal taxonomy, morphology and adaptations for specific biomes, with an emphasis on the marine realm and species/habitats with strong ecological, cultural and/or economic importance.

Textbook required:  TBD. More information will be sent to enrolled students 1 month before classes begin.

Note for UW students:  This course may fulfill a Natural World requirement (TBD)

Other comments:  Students will need to provide their own field/rain gear and there will be a lab fee (amount TBD)