Marine Vertebrate Zoology

Prerequisites: Two semesters of General Biology (or equivalent) and accompanying labs

A survey of marine fishes, reptiles and mammals, with an in-depth comprehensive treatment of their systematics, zoogeography and ecology. Field and laboratory work will stress the vertebrate fauna of the northern Gulf of Mexico and most of the course will be devoted to fishes.

Students completing this course will:

• have a basic understanding of the biology, ecology, physiology and systematics of the various marine vertebrate taxa;
• gain experience in field and lab identification of members of the various vertebrate taxa; and
• gain experience in collecting various marine and island vertebrate taxa.