BIO/NRS 563 Functional Biology and Ecology of Fishes (formerly Ichthyology) 3 cr.
Tentative Fall 2008 Schedule
Class Meetings: Tuesday 11-12:40 Woodward Hall 312, 1-4:15 BISC B111.
Professors: Dr. Cheryl Wilga BISC 115, x9020, cwilga@uri.edu
and Dr. Graham Forrester, CIK 114, x7054, gforrester@uri.edu
Teaching Assistant: Jason Ramsay, BISC B113, x7442, jasonramsay@mail.uri.edu
|
Date |
Lecture Topic |
Professor |
Lab Topic |
|
Sept 9 |
General Morphology + Classification |
Wilga |
Survey of Fishes |
|
Sept 16 |
Classification |
Wilga |
Fish hatchery |
|
Sept 23 |
Speciation + Community Ecology |
Forrester |
Speciation Discussion |
|
Sept 30 |
Feeding Morphology |
Wilga |
Feeding Morphology |
|
Oct 7 |
Feeding Mechanisms |
Wilga |
Feeding Mechanisms |
|
Oct 14 |
Social Systems, Schooling + Foraging Behavior
|
Forrester |
Foraging Field Trip |
|
Oct 21 |
Exam 1 |
Wilga |
Proposal meetings |
|
Oct 28 |
Muscles and Swimming Modes |
Wilga |
Swimming Morphology |
|
Nov 4 |
Election Day – classes do not meet |
-- |
Election Day no lab |
|
Nov 12 |
Buoyancy and Swimming Mechanisms Tuesday classes meet on Wednesday |
Wilga |
Swimming Mechanisms |
|
Nov 18 |
Species Interactions |
Forrester |
Species Interaction Discussion |
|
Nov 25 |
Mystic Aquarium Study |
Forrester |
Mystic Aquarium Study |
|
|
Thanksgiving Holiday 27-28 |
-- |
Thanksgiving Holiday |
|
Dec 2 |
Reproductive Ecology + Life Histories |
Forrester |
Life History Discussion |
|
Dec 9 |
Fishing + Conservation |
Forrester |
Lab Symposium |
|
Dec 18 |
Finals week - Exam 2 from 11:30-2:30 |
Forrester |
|
Required Books:
1) Bond, C.E. 2006. Biology of Fishes. Third Edition. Saunders College Publishing: New York. ISBN 0120798751.
2) Ray, C. and C.R. Robins. 1999. A Field Guide to Atlantic Coast Fishes: North America (Peterson Field Guides). Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN-10: 0395975158.
3) Burr, B.M., L.M. Page, J.P. Sherrod, and E. Beckham. 1991. A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico (Peterson Field Guides). Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. ISBN 0395910919.
Course goals: We will learn how fish are put together (anatomy) and how the pieces work to perform specific tasks (function). We will then ask how performance influences the ability of the fish to make a living in the world (behavior and ecology) and respond to threats from our activities (conservation). The class will take advantage of the different expertise of the two instructors, whose core expertise lies in the functional biology (Wilga) and ecology (Forrester) of fishes. We will learn through lecture and group discussion. We will also do several group projects in the field and lab, and you will have the chance to develop a proposal for your own project.
Grant Proposal: This paper is designed to provide you with experience writing a research grant proposal. All topics must be approved by Forrester or Wilga and we will gladly meet with you to help along the way. The proposal format must follow that for the National Science Foundation (see NSF webpage). On October 21st, we will meet with each of you individually to discuss the progress of your proposal. At this time you must have an outline draft of your proposal. At the end of the semester, you will present your grant proposal to the class in a lab symposium and turn in your grant proposal to the professors. Your oral presentations should be power point. Your presentation will be graded by your classmates, the TA and the professors according to the standards for NSF grant proposals. We will collect the class reviews and will give you a summary sheet of the scores so that reviewers remain anonymous.
Laboratory: The lab course is designed to supplement the lecture course with hands-on experience on the structure, function, biology and ecology of fishes through identification, mini-experiments and field sampling. Identification of common marine and freshwater fishes of New England will be stressed. There are several field trips in the lab providing field experience in collection techniques and identification of fishes.
Lab Exercises: Short papers on the lab exercises will serve to creatively reinforce the laboratory experience. All papers are to be double spaced in 12-point font and in proper scientific format with all references from peer-reviewed journals.
Make-up Exams: You must have an approved university excuse for missing an exam. Make‑up lecture exams are all essay and makeup lab exercises are oral.
Grades: Final grades assigned according to the standard scale, unless we see fit to scale. No extra credit material will be given. A total of 350 points are possible:
2 Lecture Exams @ 50 pts each 100 pts
1 Grant Proposal (50 pts) and presentation (50 pts) 100 pts
10 Lab/Analysis of Discussion Papers 100 pts
Participation and Discussion 50 pts