PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.   The objective of this exercise is to develop an awareness of marine science-related issues in current affairs.  It is important for each of us, as citizens, to be aware of the role that oceans play in our everyday lives, so that we can act responsibly to manage ocean resources and understand how changes in the oceans will affect us.  To satisfy the honors requirements for MAR 151H, students are required to do the following three activities:

A.       Select ten news items that are related to marine science in some way.  These must come from AT LEAST TWO of the following sources: 

1.      Newspapers or news magazines. 

2.      Web sites with news services such as www.cnn.com or www.msnbc.com/news/.  These services provide search capabilities to allow you to find items easily.  Try searching using the terms ocean, marine, oceanography, etc.

3.      Scientific journals available in the library such as Limnology and Oceanography, Journal of Plankton Research, Oceanography, Marine Biology, Nature, Science, Scientific American as well as others. 

B.     Print out or copy the article of interest, making sure that the source and date are given.  For scientific journals more than three pages, a copy of the abstract page is sufficient.  Write a paragraphy summary of the article and how it relates to class subject material.  Include references to relevant Chapters and pages in Pinet. Organize the material in a folder or binder. 

C.     Schedule and attend at least two meetings during the semester with any of the instructors to discuss your project.  Your first meeting should take place on or before Feb. 27, and you should have completed summaries for at least five news items by this time.  You must complete the project and hold the second meeting with an instructor on or before May 1, the last day of class.  Late projects will not be accepted without a written medical excuse.

Students are encouraged to bring selected news items to class for discussion during the beginning of each class period. 

Grading (IMPORTANT!)

Timely completion of the project and a good performance can result in extra credit and improve your course letter grade, if appropriate.  NOTE: If you fail to complete and turn in the project by the due date, then your grade will be based only on your performance on homework, quizzes and exams. HOWEVER, you will receive ONE LOWER LETTER grade than would be the case if you were not taking the course for honors credit.