Jumping Spiders

Here is a link that contains some beautiful photos of jumping spiders.

/http://www.boredpanda.com/jumping-spiders-wearing-water-droplet-hats/

Coral Reefs

Background Readings

Coral reefs- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Coral_reef

Threats to Coral Reefs-
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Threats_to_coral_reefs

Cnidaria- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Cnidaria

Zooxanthellae- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Zooxanthellae

Global warming takes a toll on coral reefs
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Global_warming_takes_a_toll_on_coral_reefs

Patterns of Caribbean coral loss
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Patterns_of_Caribbean_coral_loss

Coral disease-
http://www.reef.crc.org.au/discover/coralreefs/Coraldisease.htm

Coral stress and disease
http://www.reefrelief.org/Image_archive/diseases/index.shtml

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/MXAjnaF502X8PL

Great Online Resource

• Coral-reef-info.com Your Online Guide to Coral Reefs- http://www.coral-reef-info.com/

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student will be able to

- discuss the characteristics or the cnidarian polyps and zooxanthellae that make up a corals

- discuss the "dilema of the inverteed trophic pyramid" and the role that the discovery of zooxanthellae played in solving that mystery

- discuss the mutualism between cnidarian polyps and zooxanthellae

- discuss some of the threats facing coral reefs

- discuss coral bleaching and some of the proposed mechanisms of bleaching

- discuss the characteristics of some of the important coral diseases

Additional Powerpoint Presentations


Intro to Oceans
http://www.slideshare.net/secret/3UkF9S2ALRGNMz

Intro to Coral Reefs
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reefs-1616280

Coral Reef Zonation
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reef-zonation

Coral Reef Interactions
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coral-reef-interactions

Mangroves

Mangroves form an important, yet poorly understood and greatly unappreciated tropical ecosystem. Mangroves include a number of tropical trees and shrubs that are able to live in the intertidal zone along tropical coastlines. Mangrove plants all have adaptations to allow them to live in periodically flooded regions with high salt content. Thus, mangrove plants are defined by their ecological niche rather than their taxonomy and the approximately 70 species of mangrove plants come from 20 different plant families. The mangrove ecosystem (sometimes referred to as the mangal) occurs along protected coastlines in the tropics where mangrove plants grow.

Mangroves are common in the protected coasts in Central America and the Caribbean(they are also found in Florida and other regions of the Gulf Coast in the US). However, mangrove ecosystems in the Caribbean contain many fewer species than mangrove ecosystems in the tropics. For example, there are three main species of mangroves found in the Caribbean region whereas there can be as many as 58 species of mangroves found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Problems Facing Plants Licving in Intertidal Areas

Plants living in intertidal environments face a number of problems. First, because the soil is very fine and water logged, it is difficult for the root system to support the plant. Second, because the roots zone is waterlogged, plant roots are unable to pick up the oxygen they need through the woil. Finally, because they are living in the intertidal zone mangrove plants have to be able to live in water with high salt concentrations.

Mangrove Roots

Because mangroves live in waterlogged, unconsolidated soil, they have to have specialized root systems to support themselves.

Trees that live on land usually have a number of roots below ground that join into a single trunk that extends above ground. As you can see from these photos, the growth form of mangrove plants is very different. A large number of roots branch off from the trunk and then grown down into the soil. These roots, known as prop roots, help to stabilize the trees.


Some mangrove trees produce "aerial roots" that drop down from branches until they reach the soil. One they reach the soil they help to support the tree.





Adaptations For Picking Up Oxygen

Remember that, unlike us, plants don't breathe. Plant leaves produce the oxygen they need as a byproduct of photosynthesis. However, because they are underground and not exposed to light, plant roots are unable to conduct photosynthesis so they have to rely on picking up oxygen from the surrounding soil by diffusion. On land the air spaces between soil particles provides the oxygen that the plant needs. However, in waterlogged soils, water replaces the air in the spaces between the soil particles so there is no oxygen available to the plant roots. Because plants don't have a circulatory system, there is no way for them to quickly move oxygen from the leaves to the roots. Thus, mangroves have evolved interesting adaptations to provide oxygen to their roots.

Some mangrove plants produce interesting structures known as pneumatophores. Pneumatophores are structure that grow up out of the soil high. These pneumatophores allow the plants to pick up oxygen from the air that can be used by the roots.


The shapes of pneumatophores differs between species.


The white blotches on the prop roots are structures known as lenticels. The lenticels are connected to the underwater roots by a spongy tissues that allow oxygent that diffuses into the prop roots through the lenticels to diffuse easily to the roots where it is needed.


Importance of Mangroves

Mangroves are being destroyed around the world at a rapid rate. Mangroves are destroyed to allow for coastal development or aquaculture. Mangroves are very important ecosystems for two reasons. First, they serve as nurseries for a number of marine fish and invertebrates. The juveniles of many species hide out among the mangrove roots until they are large enough to move out to the reef. Second, the mangrove roots protects the shore from the effects of storms and tsunamis. It was well documented that regions that were protected by mangroves were much less negatively affected by the big tsunami than those regions where the mangroves have been removed.

Readings

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_ecology?topic=49514

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_swamp?topic=58071

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this  class a fully engaged student should be able to

- define "mangrove"
- discuss the problems facing plants living in the estuarine environment
- discuss adaptations of mangove plants to deal with the abiotic environment

Pygmy Seahorses

photo by Alexander Mustard

Here is a video about what might be my all time favorite organisms!!

http://bcove.me/nmccqd8i

Coastal Habitats

Readings

General
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_habitats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intertidal_zone

Rocky Shore
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/03ecology/tptales.htm
http://ceres.ca.gov/ceres/calweb/coastal/rocky.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_shore

Sandy Shore
http://ecology.hku.hk/jupas/sandy%20shore/Sandy%20shores%20main.htm
http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/envfacts/facts/sandy_shores.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/infobursts/sandy_shore_bg.shtml

Mudflats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/03ecology/mfindex.htm

Salt Marsh
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Salt_marsh

Mangroves
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_swamp?topic=58071
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Mangrove_ecology?topic=49514

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/coastal-ecosystems

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this class a fully engaged student should be able to

- discuss the relationship between wave force and particle size
- discuss important abiotic gradients that occur in intertidal habitats
- briefly discuss rocky shores, sandy shores, mudflats, salt marshes, and mangroves
- compare and contrast ecological communities in the various intertidal habitats
- discuss how ecologists have used manipulative experiments to be study the factors that influence the    distribution of organisms
- design manipulative experiments to study the factors limiting the distribution of an organism

Natural Selection

An understanding of the process of natural selection helps us to understand the amazing diversity of life on the earth.

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course a fully engaged students should be able to

1) define the process of natural selection

2) distinguish between the patterns of stabilizing, disruptive, and directional selection and provide examples of each pattern

3) describe how the process of natural selection has produced a trait that is an adaptation to a particular environmental condition.

4) explain why organisms are not expected to be perfectly adapted to their environments

5) discuss the conditions that would cause natural selection to stop

6) explain why natural selection is expected to produce selfish traits

Readings

Natural selection http://www.eoearth.org/article/Natural_selection

Here is a link to a website from UC Berkeley that might be useful to take a look at-

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25

Tsunamis

Readings
How Do Earthquakes Generate Tsunamis?- http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbf0467896bb431f6a1046/

What is a Tsunami?- http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/51cbf0467896bb431f6a103e/

Tsunmai Website- NOAA- http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/

Videos
How Tsunamis Work- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1aWz8CoeU4

What Caused the 2004 Tsunami? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG37DEAb3Bc

Japanese Tsunami, March 11, 2011- http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/news/environment-news/japan-tsunami-2011-vin/

2004 Boxing Day Tsunami- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0p_6G5GIeo&list=PLD5D4F5C48CF99ED4

Japanese Tsunami Viewed From a Car- http://www.flixxy.com/japanese-tsunami-viewed-from-a-car.htm

Depressing Example of Science Denial

Wealthy L.A. Schools; Vaccination Rates are as Low as South Sudan's.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/wealthy-la-schools-vaccination-rates-are-as-low-as-south-sudans/380252/

Writing Assignment #2

How would things on Earth be different if the Earth rotated on its axis in the opposite direction?

Two pages maximum, Times Roman 12 point font.  STAPLED!!!!!!!!!!

First Draft Due Friday September 26th

Writing Workshop Monday September 29th

Final Draft Due Friday October 3rd

Tides

Readings

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_tides/welcome.html

http://oceanmotion.org/html/background/tides-forces.htm

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Tide

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/tides-14203963

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course a fully engaged student should be able to

- discuss the effect the size and distance on gravitational pull
- describe role that the sun and the moon play in causing tides
- explain the cause of the daily, monthly, and annual patterns of tides

Groupers and Eels Teaming Up to Hunt

Here is an interesting article about a fascinating ecological relationship between a grouper and an eel who work together to catch their prey.  It appears that there is communication going on between the two species and that they are able to remember which individuals are good partners and which are not.  Pretty cool!!!

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/08/groupers-eels-animals-science-oceans-teamwork-hunting-prey/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20140908ngnw-eelsgroup&utm_campaign=Content&sf4540429=1

Waves

Readings

http://www.seafriends.org.nz/oceano/waves.htm

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/waves/watwav2.html

http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/waves.htm

http://www.ehow.com/info_8785171_difference-between-currents-waves-tides.html

http://oceana.org/en/explore/marine-science/ocean-waves


Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/waves-14235223

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXWpmY86lHk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQrj0DNXjMY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8y1MkFZSwIs&feature=related


Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this class a fully engaged student should be able to

- define characteristics of an ocean waves
- discuss the causes of ocean waves
- describe the movement of energy, surface water, and subsurface water in an open ocean wave
- describe what happens in a breaking wave
- discuss possible uses of waves as a source of renewable energy.

Mantis Shrimp

As promised, here is some info about mantis shrimp.

This article, from Sept. 7th, 2014 contains a video showing a mantis shrimp cracking open a clam and a photo of a giant mantis shrimp that someone caught in Florida last week.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/mantis-shrimp-warm-waters-lurk-video/33498799

This longish video (over 7 minutes long) discusses many interesting aspects of  how the mantis shrimp uses its claws.  Pretty interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXrxCT0NpHo


Why the mantis shrimp is my new favorite animal (also pretty cool)

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp

Some Things to Think About While Writing Your Papers

I am sure that you are all trying to figure out exactly what I, and your other professors, expect on your written assignments.  Some professors will supply you with a detailed "rubric" outlining exactly what you are expected to do and how points will be allocated for the assignment.  I do not supply rubrics.  Instead, I grade on the "gestalt" basis assigning an A for work that does an excellent job meeting the requirements of the assignment, a B for work that does a good job, etc.  The main reason that I do not provide a detailed rubric is that I think that can limit and inhibit your creativity on how you complete an assignment.

However, I do think that it would be useful for me to provide you with some more explicit guidelines about what I am looking for.  The Association of American Colleges and Universities has developed suggested rubrics on how to evaluate a college level work.  I will post links to two of these rubrics, Written Communication and Critical Thinking, which might be helpful as you begin preparing your assignments for this and other classes.

Written Communication- https://apir.wisc.edu/assessment/Rubric_WrittenCommunication.pdf

Critical Thinking- http://assessment.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/CriticalThinking.pdf

Peacock Spiders

Cool Video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_yYC5r8xMI

Bird Sounds From the Lyrebird

Here is link to a short video, narrated by David Attenborough, showing the amazing mimicry ability of the lyrebird.  This video is one of my all-time favorites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y

Lyrebirds, are medium-sized, ground-nesting birds found in Australia.  These birds are well know for (1) their ability to mimic the sounds of other birds (and other sounds in their environment) and the elaborate mating display of the male (shown above).  When I was about 12 or 13 years old I was living in Melbourne, Australia.  One Saturday my Dad and I drove to a forest area where lyrebirds live hoping to see one.  After hiking around for less than an hour we discovered a male and after following him for just a short while we were lucky enough to see the full display.  We were joined by an Australian wildlife photographer who said he had been exploring the forest for the last two weeks and this was the first display he saw.  I sure got lucky that day! (by now it should be clear that my biology-nerdom started at a young age)

First Writing Assignment

Topic.  The state of Texas requires all students enrolled in state-funded universities to take two courses in the physical/life sciences.  Should students at Texas Tech University be required to take courses in physical/life sciences?

Please choose a specific audience for your essay.

2 pages max double spaced.  If you have references then you can add a 3rd page for your references.

Draft Due- Friday September 12th.  We will workshop these papers on Monday September 16th

Final Draft Due- Friday September 19th.

Neil deGrasse Tyson on liberal science denial and GMOs

Here is a link to an discussing science denial by liberals.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/danthropology/2014/08/neil-degrasse-tyson-on-liberal-science-denial-and-gmos/

Extinction of the Passenger Pigeons

September 1st is the 100th anniversary of the day that the final passenger pigeon, a female name Martha, died in the Cincinatti Zoo.  What makes the extinction of this species is that just a hundred years earlier the population size of passenger pigeons was in the billions!!

This recent article from the New York Times disucsses this specie's extinction.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/opinion/sunday/saving-our-birds.html?utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=a2816d4773-eNews_Flash_Times_OpEd_Article_31August_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-a2816d4773-277675305&_r=1

The Atmosphere: A Brief Intro

Readings

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/layers.html

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/earths-atmosphere/

Earth's Atmosphere- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Earth's_tmosphere?topic=49479

The Atmosphere- http://www.eoearth.org/article/AP_Environmental_Science_Chapter_4-_The_Atmosphere

Wind- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Wind

Ocean Circulation- http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ocean_circulation

Powerpoint Presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/MarkMcGinley/earths-atmosphere-a-basic-intro

Expected Learning Outcomes

By the end of this class a fully engaged student should be able to

- define "atmosphere"
- discuss some of the important gasses found in Earth's atmosphere
- define "wind" and discuss the causes of wind
- diagram the global wind pattern and explain the causes of this pattern
- diagram the ocean circulation pattern and explain the causes of this pattern