ENVSCI 422: Zooplankton Ecology

Zooplankton can be called the cows of the sea. These animals range in size from 20 um to 1 mm and are the food supply for many commercially important fish, whales and other larger animals. This course will examine the different classes and functional groups of zooplankton with an emphasis on copepods and pelagic tunicates. Zooplankton morphology, physiology and ecology will be discussed in detail and related to larger environmental issues, e.g. global warming, eutrophication. There will be 1-2 field trips and/or laboratory classes to learn current zooplankton methods.