Catalog Course Search Details

 Department:    ENVC

 Course #:    420

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    5.5

 CIP:    030101

 EPC:    16B

 REV:    2024

 Course Description  

Provide an integrated view of the ecological processes in estuaries and nearshore environments. Special emphasis will be on the Salish Sea and the Pacific Northwest coastal environments.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: Admission to BASEC or Department Chair permission.

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 44

Lab: 22

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0

Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Vocational Preparatory N/A  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

1. Understand coastal and estuarine ground ecology.
2. Quantify estuarine chemistry.
3. Develop flow charts outlining abiotic and biotic controls of nutrient cycling.
4. Calculate primary and secondary production in estuaries and nearshore habitats.
5. Quantify detrital food webs in estuaries.
6. Measure trophic parameters to understand saltmarsh functions.
7. Measure seagrass bed components to understand how they function.
8. Quantify tidal flat hydrology, COM, and plankton dynamics.
9. Understand and quantify oyster reef dynamics and production by measuring plankton and detrital inputs to the reef.
10. Quantify anthropogenic changes to estuarine and nearshore habitat types.
11. Assess hydrological and geomorphic changes in estuarine and nearshore habitats.
12. Assess biological changes in estuarine and nearshore habitats.
13. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Understand and apply federal, state, and tribal policies driving natural resource policies.
14. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Use landscape ecology principles and technology to analyze ecological scenarios for management decisions at the watershed level.
15. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Apply forest ecology and silvicultural techniques to develop management scenarios for working forests.
16. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Use salmon biology to inform and to make management decisions regarding individual salmon stocks and outline ecological restoration measures.
17. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Contribute to natural resource decision-making groups utilizing effective communication techniques.
18. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Incorporate watershed management science in management strategies for managing watersheds sustainably for ecosystem services and natural resources.
19. PROGRAM OUTCOME: Develop and implement management actions for aquatic habitats.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

Course Contents

1. Introduction to estuarine environments.
2. Geomorphology.
3. Physical oceanography.
4. Estuarine chemistry.
5. Abiotic and biotic controls on estuarine nutrient cycling.
6. Primary production of phytoplankton and upstream subsidies.
7. Benthic micro and macro algae.
8. Detrital food webs.
9. Secondary production by benthos, plankton, and nekton.
10. Saltmarshes.
11. Seagrass.
12. Tidal flats.
13. Oyster reefs.
14. Anthropogenic changes in estuarine and nearshore habitat types.
15. Hydrological and geomorphic changes in estuarine and nearshore habitats.
16. Biological changes in estuarine and nearshore habitats.