BIOL 309 - Marine Mammals and Seabirds

3 Credit(s)

This is an 18-day field course starting at the beginning of August at the Huntsman Marie Science Centre, St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Marine mammals and seabirds will be observed under natural conditions through frequent field trips at sea and shore. Passamaquoddy Bay and the Bay of Fundy are excellent locations for sighing harbor and grey seals, harbor porpoises, minke, fin, and humpback whales, and numerous avian species including Atlantic puffins, razorbills, black guillemots, and northern gannets. Further, a three-day trip to Grand Manan Island will allow us to observe the incredibly rare northern right whale (there are only 300 in the world). There is a strong emphasis on field research and each student will complete an independent research project. Lectures and labs will introduce the evolution, zoogeography, morphology, ecology, physiology, and behavior of diving air-breathing vertebrates. Estimated cost is approximately $1,000 which includes travel to and from New Brunswick (from Potsdam), food, lodging, access to an on-site aquarium, and more than four whale and bird watching boat trips. For more info contact Dr. Jason Schreer (SUNY Potsdam), schreejf@potsdam.edu, (315) 276-2290. Summer.