School of Ocean Science and Engineering
Summer Field Program — Course Offerings
Summer Session I:
May 30-June 28
Barrier Island Ecology
This field course will familiarize students with concepts of coastal ecology with
emphasis on the diversity of plant and animal communities unique to the northern Gulf
of Mexico barrier islands. Students will take field excursions to barrier islands
during this course. Topics covered include marsh, submerged, and barrier island vegetation,
aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, mammals, birds and reptiles, intertidal and
shallow subtidal communities, and geologic processes of island dynamics. Prerequisites:
background in biology, botany, or geology recommended. COA 448/448L: Barrier Island
Ecology.
Three credit hours (2/1). This is a half-term course, dates are May 30-June 13. Students
may enroll in this course and either Cetacean Behavior OR Coastal Environments in
Peril in the same term for a total of 6 credit hours.
Cetacean Behavior
Students will learn tools and techniques used in the systematic observation and documentation
of delphinid behavior in the wild. Course includes both classroom lecture and field
studies focused primarily on dolphins of the Mississippi Sound. Prerequisites: none.
COA 444: Cetacean Behavior.
Three credit hours. This is a half-term course, dates are June 14-28. Students may
enroll in this course and either Barrier Island Ecology OR Coastal Restoration in
the same term for a total of 6 credit hours.
Coastal Restoration
This course will provide an overview of coastal restoration along the Gulf Coast.
Through lectures and field excursions to restoration sites in Mississippi, Alabama,
and Florida, students will gain first-hand experience with different restoration techniques
at both large and small scales and across a variety of habitats (e.g., marsh, oyster,
mangrove, seagrass, dunes, springs). Students will also get an overview of how to
identify needs, set goals, plan, design, implement, monitor, and evaluate restoration
projects. Prerequisites: Two semesters of biology or permission of instructor. COA
451/551 Special Topics - Coastal Restoration.
Three credit hours. This is a half-term course, dates are May 30-June 13. Students
may enroll in this course and either Cetacean Behavior OR Coastal Environments in
Peril in the same term for a total of 6 credit hours.
Elasmobranch Biology (Shark Biology)
This specialized course will provide students with an overview of elasmobranch (sharks,
skates, and rays) biology, ecology, and taxonomy. Lectures will cover such topics
as evolution, anatomy and physiology, sensory systems, behavior, and ecology. Students
will be introduced to the diversity of elasmobranchs and will learn how to identify
species. Special emphasis will be given to the species common to the Gulf of Mexico.
Laboratory work will consist of several inshore and offshore collecting trips as well
as dissections.
Prerequisites: Marine Biology and Marine Ichthyology or permission of instructor. COA 422/522, 422L/522L: Elasmobranch Biology, 6 credit hours (3/3)
Coastal Environments in Peril
This course will explore a wide range of environmental issues facing our coasts. General scientific issues as well as political and administrative issues will be discussed. Topics covered will include sea level rise, habitat loss, climate change, and other anthropogenic impacts on coastal environments. COA 306: Coastal Environments in Peril – Critical Issues. 3 credit hours.
This is a half-term course, dates are June 14-2. Students may take this course and either Coastal Restoration OR Barrier Island Ecology for a total of 6 credit hours.
Marine Sciences II - Marine Biology
An ecological approach is taken to understand the biology of marine systems with emphasis on local organisms; their habitats, life cycles and survival strategies. Prerequisites: 8 hours of biology or permission of instructor. COA 301, 301L: Marine Sciences II – Marine Biology, 5 credit hours (3/2)
Research Study Program
Positions are available in both Session I and II
Research Study Program allows upper-level undergraduate students an opportunity to gain valuable experience in designing a research project, sampling, analyzing data and presenting research findings. Research options encompass a broad spectrum of disciplines in coastal sciences that include Marine Aquaculture, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Biomedicine, Marine Ecology, Marine Education, Marine Fisheries, Marine Pathology and Marine Toxicology. This course could easily form the basis of a senior or honors project. Prerequisites: Four semesters of biology or permission of instructor. COA 492: Special Problems - Research. One to six hours credit is available and is assigned by the instructor.
Summer Session I Online:
June Term
Marine Animal Behavior
This specialized course will provide an in-depth exploration of animal behavior in marine organisms, including the physiological and ecological aspects of behavior. The course will introduce students to techniques for observing animal behavior in the field and laboratory, designing and conducting behavioral experiments, and collecting and analyzing behavioral data. The course will consist of lectures, and laboratory projects designed to provide students with experience in marine animal behavior. Prerequisites: 2 semesters of biology or permission of instructor. COA 442/542, 442L/542L – Marine Animal Behavior, 5 credit hours (3/2)
Marine Mammals
An overview of the biology of marine mammals (cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, sea
otters, and the polar bear) including their classification, evolutionary history,
anatomy, physiology, behavior, conservation and management.
Prerequisites: 16 hours of biology or permission of instructor. COA 443/543, 443L/543L:
Marine Mammals, 5 credit hours (3/2)
Summer Session II:
Marine Ecology
A study of marine organisms and their relationships to the environment, including
such topics as primary production, populations and communities, biogeochemical cycles,
trophic ecology, larval ecology, and human influences. Laboratory involves weekly
quantitative studies implemented as class projects.
Prerequisites: Four semesters of science or permission of instructor. COA 446/546,
446L/546L: Marine Ecology. 5 credit hours (3/2). hours.
Marine Conservation
This course will introduce students to conservation biology and ecology with a focus on marine and coastal ecosystems. Topics may include biodiversity, marine ecosystem processes and threats, conservation of habitat and species, and human impacts, solutions, and policy. The course will consist of lectures, field trips, and laboratory exercises designed to provide students with hands-on experience in marine conservation biology.
Prerequisites: 2 semesters of biology or permission of instructor. COA 450/550, 450L/550L: Marine Conservation, 5 credit hours (3/2)
Marine Ichthyology
Marine Ichthyology is an intensive marine biological field course which engages students
to collect and identify marine fishes in numerous habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.
Students experience a variety of land-based and vessel-based collection techniques
such as seining, cast netting, hook and line fishing, trawling, trolling, dip netting,
and many others. Students must work effectively alone and in teams and participate
in field expeditions to complete the course objectives. Successful students gain an
appreciation for taxonomic identities of fishes and the synergism between abiotic
and biotic factors that drive marine fish distribution and faunal diversity in northern
Gulf of Mexico.
Prerequisites: 16 hours of biology or permission of instructor. COA 421/521, 421L/521L: Marine Ichthyology, 6 credit hours (3/3)
Marine Science I - Oceanography
This course provides a multidisciplinary foundation in oceanography, specifically the terminology, principles, processes, relationships, and phenomena pertaining to three of its traditional sub-disciplines: physical, geological, and chemical oceanography. The importance of the interaction of biotic and abiotic processes in the ocean will be addressed through exploration of timely issues in ocean science.
Prerequisites: College algebra, 8 hours of chemistry, and 8 hours of biology or permission of instructor. COA 300, 300L: Marine Science I – Oceanography, 5 credit hours (3/2).
Research Study Program
Positions are available in both Session I and II
Research Study Program allows upper-level undergraduate students an opportunity to
gain valuable experience in designing a research project, sampling, analyzing data
and presenting research findings. Research options encompass a broad spectrum of disciplines
in coastal sciences that include Marine Aquaculture, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Biomedicine,
Marine Ecology, Marine Education, Marine Fisheries, Marine Pathology and Marine Toxicology.
This course could easily form the basis of a senior or honors project.
Prerequisites: Four semesters of biology or permission of instructor. COA 492: Special
Problems - Research. One to six hours credit is available and is assigned by the instructor.
Session II Online:
Marine Invertebrate Zoology
A concentrated study of the marine and estuarine invertebrates from the Mississippi
Sound and contiguous continental shelf of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Emphasis
is on structure, classification, phylogenic relationships, larval development and
functional processes.
Prerequisites: 16 hours of biology or permission of instructor. COA 428/528, 428L/528L: Marine Invertebrate Zoology, 6 credit hours (3/3)
Marine Toxicology
Marine toxicology is the study of how pollutants and toxins impact the marine environment.
This includes everything from algae to whales. Students will be introduced to the
fundamentals of toxicology, including dose, exposure, and metabolism. Students will
also engage in lectures and open discussions relating to major xenobiotics, current
topics in marine toxicology (oil spills, harmful algal blooms, microplastics, etc.),
molecular and analytical techniques, and experiential design. Lab activities will
focus on experiential design and basic data interpretation.
Prerequisites: 2 semester of biology and 2 semesters of chemistry or permission of
instructor. COA 490/590: Special Topics - Marine Toxicology, 5 credit hours.
| Online courses will be 100% online and conducted through USM’s online learning platform, Canvas. Students are expected to have access to a computer and reliable internet connection and should expect a combination of synchronous and asynchronous content. |
| Students may take a maximum of 6 credit hours of in-person coursework per term OR a maximum of 11 credit hours of online coursework per term. If taking in-person SFP courses, students are strongly discouraged from enrolling in online classes at another institution simultaneously. |
