BIOSM 3650

Underwater Research

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2017-2018.

Covers the philosophy of research, hypothesis testing and experimental design, sampling methods, various underwater techniques, diving physics and physiology, and use of dive tables. Emphasizes subtidal ecological research. Requirements include critical evaluation of several journal articles and production of a research proposal.

When Offered Summer.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: one semester of college-level biology or equivalent, recognized SCUBA certification, and approval to SCUBA dive at Shoals.

Distribution Category (PBS-AS)

• Understanding of basic principles in marine ecology, including competition, predation, and direct and indirect interactions, and how these forces shape the marine ecosystem in the Gulf of Maine.
• Familiarization with subtidal algae, invertebrates, and fishes inhabiting diving depths around the Isles of Shoals, including species identification and life history characteristics.
• Understanding of hypothesis testing, as well as aspects of experimental design including sampling method, replication, and controls.
• Understanding of introductory statistics, including student's t-test, ANOVA, and regression analyses.
• Experience in designing and implementing an independent research project by observing patterns in the subtidal ecosystem and formulating testable hypotheses to explain the patterns.
• Experience in analyzing and summarizing collected field data.
• Experience in writing a formal Research Proposal based on the independent research project (design, data collection, analyses).
• Experience in critiquing and evaluating original research proposals in an oral presentation and group discussion format.
• Understanding fundamental principles of diving physics and physiology relevant to a working scientific diver.
• Becoming certified in fundamental skills in First Aid, O2 administration, and CPR.

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