Biology of Marine Mammals
Marine mammals possess impressive adaptations for life in the sea ranging from the physiological to the acoustic. They also range from the fully aquatic cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and sirenians (manatees and dugongs) to animals that spend at least part of their lives on land. These latter groups include the pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, and walrus), otters, and the polar bear. The course will be an introduction to the biology of marine mammals, including cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians and sea otters. We will survey the evolution, taxonomy, anatomy, and physiology, and then cover in more depth acoustics, ecology, and behavior. Most of the course will be in a lecture format, but we will discuss the current scientific literature and ideally take 2 field trips from the FSU marine lab to survey for local marine mammals. The syllabus fully describes the topics covered.
Marine Nekton: Larval Fish to Whales
The course will be an overview of marine nekton, including bony and cartilaginous fishes, cephalopods, reptiles and mammals. We will survey the taxonomy, anatomy/functional morphology, and physiology of these groups, with more in depth coverage of the bony fishes and marine mammals. We will also explore aspects of their relationship with humans. Most of the course will be in a lecture format, but we will also discuss the current scientific literature, and we will have at least one field/lab experience. We will take a field trip from the FSU marine lab to survey for local fish and marine mammals. Please review the syllabus for further information.
Bioacoustics: Animal Sonar Systems
In this course we will explore the use of sound in several taxa of animals. We will focus primarily on marine mammals and bats, as both the toothed whales and chiropteran bats possess a sophisticated echolocation system We will explore the echolocators both in terms of the design and limitations of the echolocation system, as well as the ecology of this acoustic sense. We will also explore the acoustics of social communication in marine mammals and some birds. Finally, we will consider the use of sound in some species of fishes.
Applied Ocean Acoustics
This course will cover the physical and biological aspects of acoustics. Fundamentals of wave propagation, including, the speed of sound, sound intensity, reflection and refraction, and the spectrum of oceanic sound will be presented. The influence of the ocean environment on acoustics will be examined, specifically, attenuation and scattering, transmission loss, and frequency effects. Biological aspects of acoustics will include marine mammal echolocation, fish bioacoustics, and acoustic sampling methods for fisheries science. Contemporary research applications in biology and oceanography will be presented.