EOSC 575 · The Biology and Ecology of Marine Zooplanktonic Organisms

Course Description

The course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of one of the critical functional groups of marine plankton linking photosynthetically fixed organic matter and marine top predators, including harvestable fish stocks and marine mammals. The course will introduce students to taxonomic and functional groups of zooplankton, including morphology, reproductive strategies, physiology and ecology. The functional roles of crustacean and gelatinous zooplankton will be compared among ocean regions and related to larger environmental issues, e.g. global carbon cycling, climate change, commercial fisheries.

Learning Goals

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of one of the critical functional groups of marine plankton linking photosynthetically fixed organic matter and marine top predators, including harvestable fish stocks and marine mammals. It will be suitable for all incoming grad students in EOS (i.e., physical, chemical, biological and fisheries oceanography) and could be of considerable interest for students in other departments at UBC, including Zoology and Fishery grad students. Motivated senior undergraduates in good standing in their departments may be considered for admission at the discretion of the instructors. It is anticipated that this course will provide useful perspective on marine zooplankton to these students irrespective whether they focus their degree on biological, conservational or biogeochemical cycle aspects.

Instructors

Evgeny A. Pakhomov