Summer Course at Friday Harbor Laboratories Marine Invertebrate Zoology June 16 - July 18, 2014 Instructors: Dr. Michael LaBarbera University of Chicago, Organismal Biology and Anatomy mlabarbe@ uchicago.edu Dr. Dianna Padilla Stony Brook University, Department of Ecology and Evolution [email protected]
Over 90% of the macroscopic species in the marine biosphere are “invertebrates”. This course takes advantage of the rich marine biota of the Friday Harbor region to illuminate the principles of invertebrate organization and biodiversity. We emphasize comparative study of form and function in phylogenetic and ecological contexts. Alternating presentations that emphasize our complementary areas of expertise in two lectures a day, we hope to present a unique perspective on invertebrate diversification. Students will study living representatives of most major groups of marine metazoans both in the laboratory and through fieldwork in the diverse marine habitats surrounding San Juan Island. The course emphasizes the diversity of animal life in an evolutionary and ecological context, focusing on the comparative study of form, function (particularly biomechanical), and life history of all animal phyla. Biodiversity has emerged as a key topic in biology, partly because of its accelerating erosion as a result of increasing human pressures and global change. More generally, a working knowledge of the diversity of life is fundamental to the study of any subject in biology. FHL is arguably the best location in the US for such a course, given the wealth of local diversity and accumulated knowledge of the local fauna built over a century of investigations. Applications are welcome from advanced undergraduate students, post-baccalaureates and graduate students. Prior coursework in invertebrate biology or animal diversity is advisable; if in doubt, please contact one of the instructors. Scholarships are available. More information about the course and applications can be found at: http://depts.washington.edu/fhl/studentSummer2014.html Review of applications begins Feb 1, 2014, but will continue until the course is filled. For full consideration, please apply by March 1, 2014. Biol 432, 9 undergraduate or graduate-level quarter credits, 6 semester credits Summer Term A: June 16 - July 18, 2014 (5 weeks) Note: If this would be your first substantial field station experience, consider applying for the Libby Hyman Memorial Scholarship (http://sicb.org/grants/hyman/). Complete LHM scholarship applications are due Feb. 14, 2014. Please pass this along to all who might be interested.
