Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
MS 124 Marine Invertebrate Zoology/
MS 221 Advanced Topics in Marine Invertebrate Zoology
Spring 2015
Instructor: Prof. Jonathan Geller
Office Location: Room 417, MLML Main Building
Telephone: 831 771-4436
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesdays 10-12
Class day and time: Wednesdays 9 AM-5 PM
Class location: Lectures in the ThinkTank (Room 202); Lab sessions in Room 214
Prerequisites: Graduate Standing (MS 221 only)
Teaching Assistant: Angela Zepp ([email protected])
Coarse Goals and Student Learning Objectives
Marine Invertebrate Zoology is an introduction to anatomy, evolution, and natural
history of the major phyla of marine invertebrates with emphasis on the intertidal and
shallow water biota of central California. Learning objectives are:
1: Students will understand concepts of invertebrate body organization: symmetry, body
layers, body cavities, skeletal support systems, cell types.
2: Students will understand the patterns of invertebrate embryology.
3: Students will understand the anatomical design of organ systems and how these relate
to physiological functions.
4: Students will understand invertebrate reproduction patterns and life history.
5: Students will understand the phylogenetic relationships among phyla, and among
classes within phyla as presently understood.
6: Students will acquire practical knowledge of identification at the Phylum, Class, and
Order levels for most taxonomic groups, and Infraorder level for some Crustacea.
7: Students will recognize major anatomical features in live and preserved specimens.
Textbook: Invertebrate Zoology, 7th edition, 2004 by Rupert, Fox and Barnes, Brooks
Cole. ISBN 0-03-025982-7. ****6th edition is acceptable**** Readings are not
specifically assigned: you are expected to track lectures with the appropriate chapters in
the textbook. Additional Readings may be assigned and will be found on the class
website.
Supplies and Materials
A notebook computer is necessary for laboratories. Please provide a three ring binder for
your laboratory notes. Hip waders or old sneakers windbreaker or warm jacket are
recommended for field trips, Do not use full-length waders.
Date
Lecture and Laboratory Topic*
28 January
(1) Introduction and Porifera
4 February
(2) Cnidaria and Ctenophora
11 February
(3) Platyhelminthes
18 February
(4) Annelida, Echiura, Sipuncula, Nemertea
25 February
(5) Mollusca 1.
4 March
(6) Mollusca II
11 March
(7) Molusca III
18 March
25 March
1 April
8 April
15 April
(8)
22 April
(13) Echinodermata I
29 April
(14) Echinodermata II
6 May
(15) Lophophorata
13 May
15 May
(16) Protochordates and Chordata
(17) Final Exam
Exam I
SPRING RECESS
(9) Arthropoda I
(11) Arthropoda II
(12) Arthropoda III
*subject to modification.
Diversity;
Porifera
Porifera
Cnidaria
TBA (possible
field trip)
(0.6'/13:46)
Annelids and
other
protostome
worms
Chitons and
Gastropods
Bivalves and
Cephalopods
Tidepools0.11/12:27
Practical I
Plankton tow
Malacostraca
Continue
Malacostraca
and selected
Maxillopoda
Asteroids and
Holothuroids
Echinoids and
Ophiuroids
Fouling
Community,
Bryozoa
Chordates
Practical 2
(Lab notebook
and
Biodiversity
project due)
CLASS POLICIES
Missed lectures and laboratory sessions. Handout and lecture notes, as available to all
students, will be provided for lectures missed due to illness or conflicting academic
demands. We will make an effort to provide prepared laboratory material, but live
material and demonstrations of dissections cannot be guaranteed. Students are
responsible for all material presented during the regular class period.
Adding and Dropping. Students are responsible for understanding the policies and
procedures about add/drops at the campus though which they are enrolled. Students
should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for adding and dropping classes.
You may consult with Graduate Program Coordinator Brynn Kaufman about
administrative issues.
Grading policy:
Two Lecture exams, 40%.
Two Lab practical exams, 40%.
Laboratory paper and digital notebook 20%. Notebooks are due on the last day of class.
Notebook grade is based primarily on completeness and quality of effort.
Course grade: A (85-100%), B (70-84%), C (55-69%), D (40-54%)
Penalties. Damage to microscopes, camera, or other equipment due to careless use, lack
of proper maintenance, or other negligence will result in 10% deduction in points per
incident. Students are expected to help clean glassware and dissecting tools, and up to
10% of points will be deducted for lack of effort, after one warning.
Description and alignment of exams and assignments to LOs.
• Lecture exams are designed to evaluate students' understanding of concepts
elucidated in L0 1-5.
• Laboratory exams are designed to evaluate students' practical knowledge of
taxonomy and anatomy as elucidated in LO 6-7.
• Reading assignments reinforce LO 1-5
• Laboratory assignments are designed to introduce and reinforce LO 6-7.
While exams emphasize material presented in each segment of the course, later material
builds on concepts introduced earlier, and there is the expectation that you will be able
synthesize material across course segments.
Lecture exams will cover lecture material and will primarily have a short-answer format.
An old exam is available on reserve as an example of the exam format.
Practical exams will cover lab material and include identification of morphological
features in whole or dissected specimens, as well as taxonomic identification. You will
be asked to identify specimens at the level of taxonomic detail given during laboratory
exercises. There will be extra credit questions on practical exams that offer students the
chance to demonstrate deeper knowledge of anatomy or taxonomy.
Laboratory notebook is your documentation of participation and completion of all
assigned exercises in the laboratory segment of the course. Drawings and notes should
be made on plain, unlined paper and arranged by lab session in a 3-ring binder.
Drawings. There should be one drawing per page, and drawing should fill the page.
Insets with details are expected. Appropriately detailed and labeled drawings should be
made of each specimen presented to represent particular taxa or concepts. You will
submit your drawings at the completion of each lab.
Digital notebook. You will use your assigned camera to capture images of live animals,
preserved material, and prepared microscope slides. You may supplement these images
with digital photographs taken on class or individual field trips.
UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material
University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to
obtain instructor’s permission to record the course.
Academic integrity
The University Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S072.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are
required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical
Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at
http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/. Non-SJSU students, refer to the equivalent policies
at your campus.
Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need
to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an
appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential
Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf
requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the
Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of
their disability. Non-SJSU students, refer to the equivalent policies at your campus.
Accommodation to Students' Religious Holidays
San José State University shall provide accommodation on any graded class work or
activities for students wishing to observe religious holidays when such observances
require students to be absent from class. It is the responsibility of the student to inform
the instructor, in writing, about such holidays before the add deadline at the start of each
semester. If such holidays occur before the add deadline, the student must notify the
instructor, in writing, at least three days before the date that he/she will be absent. It is the
responsibility of the instructor to make every reasonable effort to honor the student
request without penalty, and of the student to make up the work missed. See University
Policy S14-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S14-7.pdf. Non-SJSU students, refer to
the equivalent policies at your campus.