Undergraduate Summer Courses

Undergraduate Students in the FieldThe 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.


2010 Undergraduate Classes to be announced...


2009

Maymester Study Abroad

MNS 352D - Marine Botany (Akumal, Mexico)
     Dr. Kenneth H. Dunton
     May 20 – June 7, 2009
 
Restricted enrollment; contact the department for permission to register for this course. Prerequisites: Upper division standing; Biology 311D; and one of the following courses: Biology 322, 324, 328, Marine Science 320, 352C; and three additional semester hours of coursework in biology. Field work includes a 19-day field trip to Akumal, Mexico. Final class meeting by June 17, 2009.  This course is entirely focused on the ecology of Caribbean coral reef and sea grass communities of the Yucatan Peninsula with special emphasis on the marine vegetation. Our research and learning goal is to understand the effect of anthropogenic inputs of inorganic-nitrogen on tropical sea grasses, algal turfs, and the overall coral reef community. 
For more information go to: http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/people/staff/Dunton/mexico2009.htm

First Session June 4 – July 11

MNS f352 - Concepts in Marine Conservation Biology
     Taught 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.