BIO 350W : Project-Based Laboratory: Marine Ecophysiology

Students will study the symbiotic relationship of the aggregating anemone, A. elegantissima and its zooxanthellae symbionts in the genus Breviolum. Students will design controlled experiments to elucidate how a chosen environmental variable can affect this delicate symbiosis, altering cellular and/or physiological characteristics in the symbiont and/or host. Students will measure multiple dependent variables in the symbionts and/or hosts (anemones). Students will learn laboratory skills associated with cellular and physiological research techniques associated with quantifying symbiont and host characteristics including differential centrifugation, microscopy, flow cytometry, spectrophotometry, colorimetric protein assays, fluorometry, etc. Students will also learn seawater aquaria maintenance, anemone husbandry, experimental design, how to keep a scientific lab notebook, statistical data analysis, and how to write like a scientist. This course satisfies the advanced writing skills course requirement.