Undergraduate Summer Courses
The Marine Science Institute is a year-round teaching and research campus of The University of Texas at Austin located on Mustang Island, a barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico and pristine coastal lagoons. Resident faculty instruct undergraduate students during the two summer terms. A rich temperate and subtropical fauna and flora characterize a diverse assortment of habitats for study, including sandy beaches, lagoons, estuarine marshes, river deltas, seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, and the open ocean. The excellent facilities, range of habitats, and the informal working and living environment of the Gulf Coast provide an extraordinary opportunity for an excellent academic and social experience. Prerequisites for all courses include upper-division standing and six hours of biology or consent of instructor. Courses are taught in Port Aransas at the Marine Science Institute unless otherwise specified.
2012
First Session (May 31-July 7, 2012)
MTWF 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Taught in Port Aransas
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. Habitats and ecosystem processes common to estuarine environments, including physiography, hydrography, and plant and animal community structure and productivity. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Principles of Estuarine Ecology Laboratory - MNS f152L (Unique 91740)
Taught by Drs. Kenneth H. Dunton and G. Christopher Shank
TH 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. Field ecology of Texas estuaries, with emphasis on open bay, seagrass, and marsh systems (two full-day and one overnight field trip). Contains a substantial writing component and fulfills part of the Basic Education requirement in writing. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Concurrent enrollment in MNS f352 Principles of Estuarine Ecology is required.
Field Application of Modern Analytical Instrumentation - MNS f152T (91747)
Taught by Dr. Zhanfei Liu
June 9-10 and June 16-17, 2012
This field-based course introduces modern instrumentation including spectrophotometry, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Learn how to use modern instrumentation to monitor the coastal environment. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. June 9-10 and June 16-17, 2012.
Undergraduate Seminar in Marine Science - MNS f152S (91745)
Dr. Dong-Ha Min
F 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. This course on current topics in marine science will include weekly seminar talks by distinguished experts in their fields of research followed by a questions and answers section. The topics to be covered will range from biology or physiology of marine organisms to their chemical-physical interactions with the marine environment. The students will be required to write a short summary (1 page) of essential components of each talk and what they learned from it. The students will for few small groups and conduct informal interviews with the seminar speakers.
Second Session (July 9 – August 13, 2012)
Humans and a Changing Ocean - MNS s308 (Unique 91825)
Taught by Dr. Tracy A. Villareal
MTWTH 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Linked to Austin Campus (ACA 1.124)
Designed for non-science majors. This course will cover the consequences of human-induced alteration of the marine environment including the impact on fisheries, marine mammals, food-web changes, and changes in species composition and ecological function. Guest lectures will highlight how the latest technology is being used to detect and address changes in the ocean. The course does not have a lab component and will not require matriculation to Port Aransas. Classes will be taught using a variety of computer-based communication technologies (Second Life, Blackboard, and Adobe Connect); use of these programs is required. Students are free to reside anywhere there is an adequate computer connection. Some training in the software will be available in the spring semester prior to the first summer session. Students who have taken MNS 367K in previous semesters will not be permitted to enroll in this course. Prerequisite: MNS 307. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May not be counted toward a degree in marine science. (Please contact Dr. Tracy Villareal at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
in advance if you wish to register for this class).
Marine Environmental Science - MNS s354Q (Unique 91835)
Taught by Dr. Dong-Ha Min
MWF 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
TH 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Lab)
Taught in Port Aransas
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. Application of the principles of marine science to the study of environmental issues: toxicology, biogeochemical cycles, and biological and ecological impacts of zenobiotic materials in the coastal zone. Prerequisite: Biology 311D, and Chemistry 302 or 302H.
Coastal Watersheds - MNS s152T (Unique 91830)
Taught by Dr. James W. McClelland
July 21-22 and July 28-29, 2012
This field-based course will emphasize river water sampling and flow measurement techniques that are essential for estimating the transport of materials from land into the coastal ocean. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. July 21-22 and July 28-29, 2012.
2011
Maymester Study Abroad
First Session (June 2 – July 9, 2011)
Humans and a Changing Ocean - MNS f309
Taught by Dr. Tracy A. Villareal
MTWTH 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Linked to Austin Campus (ACA 1.124)
Designed for non-science majors. This course will cover the consequences of human-induced alteration of the marine environment including the impact on fisheries, marine mammals, food-web changes, and changes in species composition and ecological function. Guest lectures will highlight how the latest technology is being used to detect and address changes in the ocean. The course does not have a lab component and will not require matriculation to Port Aransas. Classes will be taught using a variety of computer-based communication technologies (Second Life, Blackboard, and Adobe Connect); use of these programs is required. Students are free to reside anywhere there is an adequate computer connection. Some training in the software will be available in the spring semester prior to the first summer session. Students who have taken MNS 367K in previous semesters will not be permitted to enroll in this course. Prerequisite: MNS 307. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May not be counted toward a degree in marine science. (Please contact Dr. Tracy Villareal at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
in advance if you wish to register for this class).
Marine Environmental Science - MNS f354Q
Taught by Drs. G. Christopher Shank and Dong-Ha Min
MWF 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
TH 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Lab)
Taught in Port Aransas
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Application of the principles of marine science to the study of environmental issues: toxicology, biogeochemical cycles, and biological and ecological impacts of zenobiotic materials in the coastal zone. Prerequisite: Biology 311D, and Chemistry 302 or 302H.
Coastal Watersheds - MNS f152T
Taught by Dr. James W. McClelland
June 18-19 and June 25-26, 2011
This field-based course will emphasize river water sampling and flow measurement techniques that are essential for estimating the transport of materials from land into the coastal ocean. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. June 18-19 and June 25-26, 2011.
MNS f152S - Undergraduate Seminar in Marine Science
Dr. Dong-Ha Min
F 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas. This course on current topics in marine science will include weekly seminar talks by distinguished experts in their fields of research followed by a group session to current faculty members and visiting scientists. The topics to be covered will range from biology or physiology of marine organisms to their chemical-physical interactions with the marine environment. The students will be required to write a short summary (1 page) describing main objectives/questions addressed in each talk and what they learned from it. The topics covered during the two summer sessions will be different because of the broad range of research interests of the speakers.
Second Session (July 11 – August 15, 2011)
Biology of Fishes - MNS s354C
Taught by Dr. Luiz Rocha
MWF 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
TTH 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Lab)
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. Anatomy, physiology, behavior, life history, taxonomy, and distribution of fishes, with emphasis on field sampling and laboratory studies of the coastal biota. Requires several field trips in addition to lecture hours. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, six semester hours of coursework in biological sciences, or consent of instructor.
Field Application of Modern Analytical Instrumentation - MNS s152T
Taught by Dr. Zhanfei Liu
July 30-31 and August 6-7, 2011
This field-based course introduces modern instrumentation including spectrophotometry, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Learn how to use modern instrumentation to monitor the coastal environment. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. July 30-31 and August 6-7, 2011.
2010
Whole Session (June 3 - August 16, 2010) - CANCELLED
Introduction to Marine Research - MNS w352 (Unique 91397) - meets with MNS w152L
Drs. Deana L. Erdner and Benjamin Walther
M 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
This is a whole-session course taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas during both summer sessions. Students will formulate a research proposal, then design and execute field-based research to test their hypotheses. The course includes a combination of lectures and lab sessions, including extensive time outdoors in local habitats. Students are expected to present the results of their research as a scientific paper at the conclusion of the course. Concurrent enrollment in MNS w152L Introduction to Marine Research Laboratory is required. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Introduction to Marine Research Laboratory - MNS w152L (Unique 91402) - meets with MNS w352
Drs. Deana L. Erdner and Benjamin Walther
TW 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. This is a whole-session course with half-day field trips (which may include weekends) to local estuarine and coastal habitats. Students must reside in Port Aransas during both summer sessions. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Concurrent enrollment in MNS w352 Introduction to Marine Research is required.
First Session (June 3 – July 10, 2010)
Humans and a Changing Ocean - MNS f309 (Unique 91380)
Taught by Dr. Tracy A. Villareal
MTWTH 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Linked to Austin Campus (ACA 1.124)
Designed for non-science majors. This course will cover the consequences of human-induced alteration of the marine environment including the impact on fisheries, marine mammals, food-web changes, and changes in species composition and ecological function. Guest lectures will highlight how the latest technology is being used to detect and address changes in the ocean. The course does not have a lab component and will not require matriculation to Port Aransas. Classes will be taught using a variety of computer-based communication technologies (Second Life, Blackboard, and Adobe Connect); use of these programs is required. Students are free to reside anywhere there is an adequate computer connection. Some training in the software will be available in the spring semester prior to the first summer session. Students who have taken MNS 367K in previous semesters will not be permitted to enroll in this course. Prerequisite: MNS 307. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May not be counted toward a degree in marine science. (Please contact Dr. Tracy Villareal at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
in advance if you wish to register for this class)
Principles of Estuarine Ecology - MNS f352 (Unique 91395)
Taught by Drs. G. Christopher Shank and Kenneth H. Dunton
MTWF 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Linked to Austin Campus (ACE 3.336)
This course is offered by video link to UT-Austin main campus. Habitats and ecosystem processes common to estuarine environments, including physiography, hydrography, and plant and animal community structure and productivity. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
Principles of Estuarine Ecology Laboratory - MNS f152L (Unique 91400)
Taught by Drs. Kenneth H. Dunton and G. Christopher Shank
TH 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. Field ecology of Texas estuaries, with emphasis on open bay, seagrass, and marsh systems (two full-day and one overnight field trip). Contains a substantial writing component and fulfills part of the Basic Education requirement in writing. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Concurrent enrollment in MNS f352 Principles of Estuarine Ecology is required.
Coastal Watersheds - MNS f152T (Unique 91405)
Taught by Dr. James W. McClelland
June 19-20 and June 26-27, 2010
This field-based course will emphasize river water sampling and flow measurement techniques that are essential for estimating the transport of materials from land into the coastal ocean. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. June 19-20 and June 26-27.
Second Session (July 12 – August 16, 2010)
Biology of Fishes - MNS s354C (Unique 91495)
Taught by Dr. Alfredo Ojanguren
MWF 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
TTH 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. Anatomy, physiology, behavior, life history, taxonomy, and distribution of fishes, with emphasis on field sampling and laboratory studies of the coastal biota. Requires several field trips in addition to lecture hours. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, six semester hours of coursework in biological sciences, or consent of instructor.
Coastal Environmental Science in Texas Bays - MNS s152T (Unique 91485)
Taught by Dr. Dong-Ha Min
July 17-18 and July 24-25
This field-based course offers practical studies of Texas coastal environments field and laboratory. Topics include relevant physical, geochemical, and biological factors governing the productivity of the Texas coastal ecosystem. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. July 17-18 and July 24-25.
Instrumental Analysis of Coastal Environments - MNS s152T (Unique 91490) - CANCELLED
Taught by Dr. Zhanfei Liu
July 31-August 1 and August 7-8
This field-based course introduces modern instrumentation including spectrophotometry, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Learn how to use modern instrumentation to monitor coastal environment. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. May be counted toward the Bachelor of Science in Biology (Option III: Marine and Freshwater Biology) and toward other undergraduate degrees in biology. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and six semester hours of coursework in biology, chemistry, geological sciences, and/or physics. Offered over two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. July 31-August 1 and August 7-8.
2009
Maymester Study Abroad
First Session June 4 – July 11
MNS f352 - Concepts in Marine Conservation BiologyTaught by Dr. Mikhail Matz
MTWF 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Linked to Austin Campus (ACE 3.336)
General principles and examples of conservation biology as applied to marine environments. Topics include biodiversity, fisheries, ecosystem management and human dimensions. Offered by video link from Port Aransas for students in Austin. Prerequisites: upper-division standing and six hours of biology.
The major goals of this class are to review the basic concepts in conservation biology. We will examine how conservation biology is relevant to issues of species diversity, ecosystem disruption, eutrophication and resource exploitation. We will also identify the key aspects of the marine environment that create fundamentally different perspectives for conservation biology. Examples and case histories of how individual ecosystems or resources are changing will be explored along with the role of science in the policy-making decision. Some of the topics covered in this class will include:
-
Specific features of marine ecosystems relevant for conservation biology
-
Population biology of marine organisms: basic patterns and methodologies
- Current threats to marine ecosystems
- Selecting conservation strategies and assessing their efficiency
- Social and political aspects
MNS f152L - Concepts in Marine Conservation Biology Laboratory
Taught by Dr. G. Christopher Shank
TH 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas. Concurrent enrollment in MNS f352-Concepts in Marine Conservation Biology is required. Practical studies of Texas coastal environments using various analytical and observation methods to better understand the health and functioning of coastal ecosystems. Requires at least three full-day field trips to local habitats.
MNS f152T - Marine Photosynthesis
Dr. Deana Erdner
June 20-21 and June 27-28
This field-based course will take place during two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. Students will gain both a theoretical and practical understanding of the factors affecting marine primary production in coastal areas. Activities will include measurement of primary production, assessment of light and nutrients in the water column, and an introduction to the diversity of unicellular primary producers.
MNS f152S - Undergraduate Seminar in Marine Science
Dr. Deana Erdner
F 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas. This course on current topics in marine science will include weekly seminar talks by distinguished experts in their fields of research followed by a group session to current faculty members and visiting scientists. The topics to be covered will range from biology or physiology of marine organisms to their chemical-physical interactions with the marine environment. The students will be required to write a short summary (1 page) describing main objectives/questions addressed in each talk and what they learned from it. The topics covered during the two summer sessions will be different because of the broad range of research interests of the speakers.
Second Session July 13 – August 17
MNS s354C Biology of Fishes
Dr. Ken Webb
MWF 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Lab MW 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Anatomy, physiology, behavior, life history, taxonomy, and distribution of fishes, with emphasis on field sampling and laboratory studies of the coastal biota. Requires several field trips in addition to lecture hours, including one weekend trip. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, six semester hours of coursework in biological sciences, or consent of instructor.
MNS s152T Estuarine and Tropical Reef Fishes
Dr. Luiz Rocha
July 18-19 and July 25-26
This field-based course will take place during two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. Community structure, function and distribution of fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico coastal reefs and estuarine environments. Emphasis on sampling, field techniques, taxonomy, quantitative characterization, adaptations and habitat relationships. A comparative approach will contrast fish communities from reef, estuarine, near shore and freshwater habitats.
MNS s152T Coastal Environmental Science in Texas Bays
Dr. Dong-Ha Min
August 1-2 and 8-9
This field-based course will take place during two consecutive weekends in Port Aransas. Practical studies of Texas coastal environments field and laboratory. Topics include relevant physical, geochemical, and biological factors governing the productivity of the Texas coastal ecosystem.
MNS 152S Undergraduate Seminar in Marine Science
Dr. Chris Shank
F 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
This course is taught in Port Aransas. This course on current topics in marine science will include weekly seminar talks by distinguished experts in their fields of research followed by a group session to current faculty members and visiting scientists. The topics to be covered will range from biology or physiology of marine organisms to their chemical-physical interactions with the marine environment. The students will be required to write a short summary (1 page) describing main objectives/questions addressed in each talk and what they learned from it. The topics covered during the two summer sessions will be different because of the broad range of research interests of the speakers.