Marine Animal Life Cycles and Development

Marine animals have a diversity of life cycles, from simple to complex. Understanding these cycles is necessary for the successful and sustainable management of these organisms in the wild or in aquaculture. This core certificate 4-credit offering focuses on the life history and development in marine animals, factors that control their populations, and human efforts to manipulate them, through the use of primary scientific literature, lecture, discussion, activities, writing, and field experiences. We’ll use a set of animals relevant to the Pacific Northwest as case studies, and return to them as we discuss taxonomy, life history, population biology, fisheries, and aquaculture. They will be the arthropod crustaceans Dungeness crab and European green crab, the molluscs geoduck and abalone, and pacific salmon.

This class will meet synchronously online for 2.5 hours per week. The course will also feature two field trips held on Sundays. Students should expect additional homework during the week.

This is one of four core courses that comprise the Marine Bioresources Certificate at Evergreen. Courses can be taken in any order.