INTRODUCTION TO MARINE LIFE

The Novice Undersea Naturalist

This course will introduce you to the undersea world; both the organisms that live there and the diverse chemical, physical and geological conditions that they inhabit.  You will learn about marine life based on the habitats where they are found, starting on the coasts.  The characteristics of these interfaces between the sea and land determine the unique plants and animals that are found there.  Shoreline habitats covered will include salt marshes, sandy and rocky beaches, mud flats and mangroves.  Moving outward from the shore you will be introduced to the estuarine and nearshore environments where the saltiness of the water and composition of the bottom are the chief factors controlling the creatures that are found there.  Next will be rock and coral reefs, followed by the open ocean and deep sea regions.  Finally you will see how all these systems are integrated into the global ecosystem.