Biology of Marine Systems

What we do:

Through a variety of laboratory, field, and model based studies we investigate unique aspects of the biology of marine organisms, and further explore their relationships with the chemical and physical environment of the ocean and its sedimentary layers.

OEB's programs in this area range from the ecology and physiological genomics of microbial populations at hydrothermal vents to the biogeography and systematics of marine organisms, as well as the swimming hydrodynamics of fishes.

Current areas of research include:

  • Roles of seasonal and interannual variability in climate on the productivity of the sea
  • Coupling of the nitrogen and carbon cycles in planktonic and microbial ecosystems
  • Reproductive biology and dispersal of benthic organisms
  • Biogeography and phylogeography of benthic organisms
  • Invasions and introduced species
  • Invertebrate-microbial symbioses, in particular physiology and population biogeography
  • Comparative genomics of deep-sea vent and coastal chemosynthetic symbionts
  • Biomechanics of fish locomotion

 

 

OEB Faculty with work in Biology of Marine Systems:

Colleen M. Cavanaugh
Peter R. Girguis
Gonzalo Giribet
George V. Lauder
Karel Liem
James J. McCarthy
Robert M. Woollacott

Faculty in other Departments:

Ann Pearson (EPS)
Colleen Hansel (SEAS)
Woody Hastings (MCB)

 

Selected courses in Biology of Marine Systems:

OEB 51. Biology and Evolution of Invertebrate Animals
OEB 118. Biological Oceanography
OEB 123. Biology of Symbiosis
OEB 130. Patterns and Processes in Fish Diversity
OEB 157. Global Change Biology
OEB 191. Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations
OEB 221. Microbial Diversity
OEB 227. Molecular Approaches to Environmental Microbiology
OEB 234. Topics in Marine Biology
OEB 255. Nature and Regulation of Marine Ecosystems
OEB 278. Topics in Microbial Metabolic Systems
SCIENCE B-53. Marine Biology

Marine related courses in other departments:

EPS 5. Intro to Environmental Science: Atmosphere, Ocean & Biosphere
EPS 131. Intro to Physical Oceanography and Climate
EPS 137. Biogeochemistry
EPS 181. Paleontology and Historical Geobiology
EPS 207r. Geochemical Oceanography
EPS 237. Advanced Biogeochemistry
ENG SCI 168. Aquatic Chemistry