Certificate Courses

Students are required to take 16 credit hours to complete certificate requirements. These hours can come from the following courses:

Required Courses:

(A) The seminar course and internship are required to ensure that students obtain training in critical thinking and hands-on experiences designing and conducting studies in marine systems.

• BSC 4937 Seminar in Living Marine Resource Ecology
• BSC 4940 Summer Internship in Marine Resource Ecology* (3-9)
  
  *Note: Although it is possible to take up to 9 credit hours in an internship (and thus fulfill the summer residency requirement), only 3 credits of the internship are applied directly to the 16 hours in certificate requirements.

(B) One field-oriented course.

• BSC 3402L Experimental Biology Lab (marine emphasis only) (2)
• BSC 4933-1 Marine Invertebrates Zoology*
• BSC 4933-2 Biology of Fishes*
• COB 4930 Overview of North Florida Coastal Ecosystems* (3 hrs)
  
  *Note: Taught in the Summer at the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory

(C) One broad-range course: Inclusion of these courses ensures that students get a broad background in an area important to their understanding of adaptations of marine organisms to the ecosystems in which they occur.

• BSC 3052 Conservation Biology (3)
• PCB 3043 General Ecology (3)
• PCB 4723 General & Comparative Animal Physiology (3)

Electives:

Any courses listed above not used to fulfill the certificate requirements may be used as electives, but students may also choose electives from the courses listed below.

• BSC 3312 Marine Biology (3)
• OCB 4637 Marine Benthic Ecology (3)
• OCB 4305 Marine Nekton: Larval Fish to Whales (3)
• OCB 4903 Estuarine and Coastal Ecology
• OCB 5930 Coral Reefs
• OCE 4011 Principles of Oceanography (3)
• OCE 4930 Marine Pollution

Recommended Ancillary Courses:

Although not required for the certificate the following courses provide useful knowledge or training relevant to certain aspects of marine biology. Certificate course work note: Students should see one of the faculty advisors in the certificate program for advice on tailoring course work to their program goals.

• BSC 4931 Senior Tutorials (Marine topics/faculty) (1)
• BSC 4933 Selected Topics: Scientific Diving (3)

 

Full Course Descriptions

BSC 4937 Seminar in Living Marine Resource Ecology (1 hr)

The purpose is to instill in students the ability to critically evaluate research conducted by professionals in the field, to introduce students to different types of marine-related careers, and to provide guidance in making career choices, including how to apply to graduate school. This course will include:

• instructor-student discussions on a variety of topics (ranging from how to critically evaluate scientific talks and papers, to how to set a course for a career in marine biology)
• opportunities to talk in a relatively casual atmosphere with professionals from a variety of marine or other natural resource related fields, including conservation law, policy, enforcement, ecology, among others.
• seminars by visiting professionals in various fields related to marine biology
• seminars by certificate students who have completed summer internships.

Students will be given reading assignments that relate to upcoming seminars.  They will then discuss the reading during class before the seminar, with one student acting as discussion leader.  The discussion will be  devoted to a critical evaluation of the paper and its conclusions. Lively discussion and criticism involving all members of the class is expected.

BSC 4940 Internship in Marine Biology (3-9 hrs)

This course provides advanced undergraduate students an opportunity to participate in critical research that deals with current problems in conservation and management. Each student is given the opportunity to work with a mentor scientist conducting a discrete task that forms some component of the mentor's ongoing studies. Thus, the internship encourages a closer relationship between student and mentor than undergraduates usually experience, one more akin to that developed between a graduate student and encourages motivated students interested in pursuing research careers in basic and applied sciences.

The intent is to have students immersed in the entire process of biological research: developing a question, properly stating and designing experiments to try to address the question, executing the experiment, analyzing experimental results, and, finally, interpreting, organizing, and presenting those results in both written and oral presentations. Some certificate students have published their internship research or appeared as co-authors with their mentors on papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Along the way, students will be introduced to the primary research literature, improve their writing skills, and learn about the scientific method.

To read about the most recent internships, click here

BSC 4933-1, Marine Invertebrate Zoology* (3 hrs)

Prerequisites: BSC 2011/BSC 2011L.

The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth examination of current topics in invertebrate zoology and modern methods of research. In introduces students to different conceptual topics along with a “hands on” application of how research is conducted in that area. Topics include (1) species interactions, (2) reproductive ecology, (3) behavioral ecology, (4) phylogenetics, (5) small scale flow biomechanics, and (6) larger scale flow effects.

BSC 4933-2, ST. Biology of Fishes (4 hrs)

Prerequisites: BSC 2011/BSC 2011L.

This course is designed to provide an overview of the systematics, morphology, ecology, behavior, physiology, and life history of the most diverse group of vertebrates on earth, the fishes. There will be a series of laboratory exercises balanced with a number of field trips to different habitats in the vicinity of the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory, ranging from freshwater springs to salt marshes, seagrass beds, and offshore reefs. The course will be structured to address conservation and management issues throughout. Students will have opportunities to get experience with a variety of field-oriented data collection methods. Experience with using SCUBA as a tool is optional for approved science divers.

COB 4930. Overview of North Florida Coastal Ecosystems (3 hrs)

The coastal zone of North Florida is home to a variety of marine ecosystems, many of which are endangered by human activities. This course will introduce the students to the principal geological, biological and chemical features of the different types of ecosystems located within the vicinity of the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory.

OCB 4305 Marine Nekton: Larval Fish to Whales (3 hr)

Overview of marine nekton including bony and cartilaginous fishes, cephalopods, reptiles and mammals. A survey of the taxonomy, anatomy/functional morphology and physiology of these groups including aspects of their relationships with humans.

OCB 4637 Marine Benthic Ecology (3 hr)

Prerequisite: ZOO 4203C or as a corequisite with permission of instructor.

The physical setting and ecological organization of the communities found in the rocky intertidal, in the fouling habitat, on sandy beaches, in subtidal soft bottoms, and in the deep sea is presented through lectures, substantial reading, and class discussions.