This course aims to provide an understanding of benthic communities, including the distribution of organisms in various habitats such as rocky shores, sandy beaches, mud flats, coral reefs, and deep-ocean environments. Students will learn about the physical environment of sediment-covered shores, intertidal zonation, common organisms, and adaptations. The course covers topics such as coral reef development, symbiotic relationships, coral bleaching, deep-ocean floor communities, hydrothermal vent biocommunities, and the origins of life. The teaching method includes lectures on different benthic habitats and their associated organisms. This course is intended for individuals interested in marine biology, ecology, environmental science, or oceanography.
Overview
Syllabus
Chapter 15 Lecture
Distribution of Benthic Organisms
Communities on Rocky Shores
Spray Zone
High Tide Zone
Middle Tide Mussel Bed and Sea Star
Middle Tide Zone
Low Tide Zone
Physical Environment of Sediment-Covered Shores
Intertidal Zonation and Common Organisms
Sandy Beach Organisms and Adaptations
Mud Flats
Kelp Distribution
Rocky Bottom Shallow Offshore Ocean Floor Communities
Coral Reef Distribution
Conditions for Coral Reef Development
Symbiosis of Coral and Algae
Coral Reefs • Other reef animals with symbiotic relationships • Mixotrophs - derive part of nutrition from algae - Include coral, foraminifers, sponges, and mollusks
Coral Reef Zonation
Importance of Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs and Nutrient Levels
Coral Bleaching and Other Diseases
Normal and Bleached Coral
Coral Reefs in Decline
Deep-Ocean Floor Communities
Deep Ocean Physical Environment
Deep Ocean Food Sources and Species Diversity
Food Sources for Deep-Sea Organisms
Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Biocommunities
Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Communities
Locations of Hydrothermal Vent Communities
Hydrothermal Vent Species
Chemosynthesis vs. Photosynthesis
Life Span of Hydrothermal Vents
Hydrothermal Vents and the Origins of Life
Low-Temperature Seep Biocommunities
Beneath the Sea Floor
Taught by
Sven Holbik
