Marine Larval Ecology
In-House Fall Session 1 (August 25 – November 14, 2014)
Lecture: Monday
Classroom: Schure
Professor: Dr. Joana Figueiredo
E-mail:
Office: OC CoE Room 219
Office Hours: I am generally at the office from 9am to 5pm on weekdays (if possible, please e-mail me before coming to see me)
Phone: 594-262-3638
*The best way to contact me is by e-mail. I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. To ensure a prompt response from me, put MLE in the subject line of your e-mail.
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Description: Most marine animals have a complex life cycle with a sessile or sedentary adult stage and a dispersive larval stage. This course will expose the students to the diversity of marine larval forms and increase their understanding of the environmental factors affecting larval survival, development, dispersal, settlement, recruitment and connectivity. We will study the implications of having a larval stage for the persistence and management of marine ecosystems, and how climate change and other human-induced disturbances on larvae may affect species persistence.
Learning outcomes
Students will be able to:
-list and identify the major types of marine larvae
-identify the predominant types of marine larvae of each marine animal group
-understand the ultimate and proximate cues for the synchronization of larval release and its adaptive advantage
-describe how the major types of marine larvae obtain nutrients and food
-describe how maternal and environmental patterns may affect the survival, development and dispersal of larvae
-describe how larval behaviour and settlement cues may determine dispersal and recruitment
-understand the implications of having a larval stage for population persistence and the importance of considering the larval stage when implementing management for conservation
-understand how climate change and other human-induced disturbances on larvae may affect species persistence
-analyse and critique scientific literature
-exercise and enhancetheir ability to summarize scientific information
Textbook: No textbook will be required. All themes will be addressed through discussions of relevant scientific articles which will be made available by the professor 5 days before each lecture.
Class format:
Most themes will be introduced in a short lecture(using power point and old fashioned school board writing),followed by a discussion of scientific articles relevant to the lecture theme. Active classroom discussion on selected scientific articles is mandatory.Relevant questions and themes discussed will be summarizedon the boardby the students (under the professor’s guidance).
Evaluation
BreakdownMidterms/Quizzes (30-45 min): 2 x 25% = 50%(cover lectures and main conclusions of papers discussed in class: combination of multiple choice, short answer and short-essay questions)
Make-up exams: let me know as soon as possible and before the midterm occurs if you know you will be absent the day of a midterm. Valid excuses for missing a quiz include:
a)Documented illness
b)Documented family or personal tragedy
c)Documented official University business
Make-up exams will consist entirely of essay questions.
Classroom participation: 20%
Summaries: 10 assignments x 1.5% = 15% (ca. 200 wordssynthesis of 1 of the papers discussed from the previous class) to be handed in in the following class (starting Sep 8, relative to papers read the previous week)
Project: 15%Description of a marine species with a larval stage, including:
- species complex life cycle (1.5%)
- habitat, environmental conditions and food source during each life stage (1.5%
- mode(s) of reproduction (1.5%)
- timing of reproduction, timing of larval release and respective cues (1.5%)
- larval development: types of larvae, feeding mode, behavior, swimming abilities, larval duration (3%)
- environmental conditions larvae are exposed to and its implications for survival, dispersal, population connectivity and management (2 %)
This project will consist of a 2 page written description and a presentation (10-15 minpowerpoint or previously recorded video; you may use VideoScribe, e.g. free version of Sparkol)
Grading
A (90-100%);B(80-89%);C(70-79%); D(60-69%);F(0-59%)
Class Etiquette
Cell phones must be off at all times.
If you intend to use your laptop or tablet to take notes, please keep internet off or tablet in airplane mode.
Come to class on time. If you come late, take the first available seat, and sit next to a new friend.
Academic honesty
Do not copy other people’s work! It’s not worth it. I’ll catch you. Any person caught cheating will be reported to the Dean of the OC and will receive an F for that assignment or quiz.
How to succeed in this course
- Read this syllabus
- Attend all lectures and discussion sections
- Do all assigned readings
- For each hour of class, dedicate 2h of study/homework/readings.
- Study in groups
- If you have questions, share them with the class or contact me by e-mail.
- If you need help, askimmediately
Lecture Schedule
Date / TopicAug 25 / Diversity of life cycles and larval forms in the sea
TBD (Labor Day week) / Ecological factors affecting spawning and larval release
Sep 8 / Maternal effects and larval developmental mode
Sep 15 / Larval feeding and nutrition
Sep 22 / Quiz (45min)
Environmental factors affecting larval survival and development
Sep 29 / Larval transport and swimming behaviour
Oct 6 / Settlement cues and metamorphosis
Oct 13 / Dispersal
Oct 20 / Recruitment and Connectivity
Oct 27 / Implications of complex life cycles for management of marine ecosystems
Nov 3 / Human-induced effects on larvae and implications for species persistence
Nov 10 / Quiz
Project presentation
Readings for each class will be sent to the student NSU e-mail 5 days prior to each class and are mandatory.Students will have to read 3 papers (at choice) per class from the list provided by the professor.