Instructor: Dr. James B. Wood
Bermuda harbors unique assemblages of subtropical and tropical invertebrates. It has the most northern
coral reefs, mangroves, and tropical seagrass communities in the Atlantic. Marine Invertebrate Zoology
(MIZ) focuses on the diversity of invertebrates in Bermuda’s reefs and associated nearshore habitats. MIZ
is an integrated lecture, laboratory, and field course. All participants must snorkel or dive during the course.
The diversity of invertebrates will be explored systematically. Major groups of invertebrates that will be
emphasized in our studies are: Porifera, Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca, with emphasis on cephalopods,
Arthropoda, with emphasis on Crustacea, Echinodermata, Hemichordata and Chordata. A number of other
invertebrate phyla will be discussed in the context of their relationships, and occurrence in particular communities.
Inshore and rim reefs, mangroves and anchialine ponds, rocky and sandy shores, seagrass beds,
inshore waters and open waters will be investigated. Major environmental characteristics of, and factors
effective in these habitats will be discussed.
Course Aims:
- become familiar with the range of marine invertebrate phyla and be able to readily identify many common
species of Bermuda (and of the Caribbean)
- have knowledge of the major taxonomic features that are used to identify each animal group, including
down to the class level of the main invertebrate phyla
- understand the morphological, physiological, behavioral and life history characteristics of selected groups
- gain an understanding of some current research issues involving marine invertebrates
Textbooks:
The two textbooks for the course are "Biology of the Invertebrates" Fourth Edition, by J.A. Pechenik and "In-
vertebrate Zoology" Seventh Edition, by E.E. Ruppert, R.S. Fox, and R.D. Barnes. Readings will be assigned
from these books during the course, which will give you the required background to each lecture week.
Grade to be based on:
Exams 45%
Research assignments 10%
Participation (notebooks) 20%
Oral presentations 10%
Web Page 15%
Exams:You will have one mid-term exam that will be worth 15%, and one final exam worth 30%. The midterm will be given during week six of the course, and the final will be given during the last week of class. The
exam format will be that of short answer questions to be written in the space provided.
Research Assignments:These research assignments are designed to encourage students to further investigate MIZ subjects that interest them. There will be three research assignments set during the course. The
first is a Table to be completed one week after is assigned. The next two will be selected from the "Topics for
further discussion and investigation" section at the end of each chapter of Biology of the Invertebrates
(Pechenik, 4th Ed.) as well as some questions to choose from by the instructor. Students select a single question
from each set write a short original summary (1000 words; 2-3 pages plus references) on that topic. Each
summary should include at least three references from peer reviewed journal articles.
Notebooks: Notebooks will be maintained with records of field and laboratory observations and these will be graded. Example illustrations and instructions for microscope calibration are given in the laboratory
manual. Attendance to lectures, field and lab work will be graded along with the notebooks.
Final Projects:
1) Web page report
The web report should include a short summary abstract plus more detailed information about habitat,
ecology (predators, prey, life cycle, life history, reproduction), taxonomy, interesting recent research (if
any), commercial importance (if any), Bermudian laws related to the species (if any, i.e .some species
are protected like top shells or have bag limits like lobsters), and your personal interest in this species.
There should be at least 10 references from peer reviewed journal articles.
For some species it will be hard to find ten articles specifically on that species, in this case you can use
articles on related species as long as you refer back to your species. For other invertebrates, like Brain
Corals and Caribbean Reef Squid, there are quite a few references available. I will take this into account
when grading your project.
I will provide a web page template and guide you in using it. You are not expected to know how to make
a web page but you are expected to leave enough time so that you can put your work into the template
correctly and make sure all the links work. The easiest way to start working on your web report is to
start writing it in Word. Once you have your content ready and have checked it for grammar and
spelling errors you can then cut and past this information into the web template.
I would like one image of the animal for the web page is possible. If you are able to collect a specimen
in good condition I'll photograph it for you. Some students take their own images which is also fine.
Examples of past projects are online at: http://www.marineinvertebratezoology.org/
There should be at least 10 references from peer reviewed journal articles.
2) Oral Presentations
A 15 minute oral presentation in the scientific meeting style (12 minutes talk, 3 minutes for questions)
is required at the end of the course. Students may choose to present on any species of marine invertebrate
found in Bermuda. Talks should include taxonomy, ecology, life history, habitat, and any other
topic where relevant, such as current research and economic importance. With the presentation, a 200
word abstract is due as well as a list of references. (Note, talks must cover a species that has not previously
been covered in this class; earlier student presentations are listed here http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/MarineInvertebrateZoology/
Students participating in an individual research class following MIZ may do their MIZ final projects
on the same or similar species that they do their research project on. Four weeks is an incredibly short
time to develop implement and write up a research project. Those that chose to do there final project
on the same or a related species to their individual studies projects have a bit of a head start.
Lectures are in Sunderman
Labs are in Scott Lab
Boat Trips leave from the dock
Truck Trips leave from in front to Wright Hall
Computer Labs are in the Library Computer Room
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WEEK 1
Introductory Week
Wednesday Orientation
Thursday
All dive paperwork must be turned in
by noon
09:00 Lecture: Intro to marine invertebrates
09:30 Lecture: Characteristics and systematic for
grouping metazoan phyla
Friday
Check out dive with Alex for those who turned
in their paperwork. Others can snorkel.
WEEK 2
Lab Intro, Diversity and Porifera
Monday
09:00 Invertebrate Collecting Lab - Concrete Beach,
meet at Scott lab
11:00 Lab: Start Microscope Illumination,
Calibration, and Scientific Illustration
13:00 Lab: Continue Microscope lab
Lab:Metazoan diversity lab
16:00 Lecture: Sponges
Wednesday
Research Assignment 1 set (1 week)
09:00 Boat Trip: Collect and Photograph Sponges at
Harrington Sound - Hall’s Island
(Meet at the Dock for all boat trips)
13:00 Lab: Porifera lab, sponge ID and species list,
spicule identification,
WEEK 3
Cnidaria and Ctenophora
Monday
09:00 Lecture: Introduction to Cnidaria
10:00 Lecture: Cnidaria- Anthozoa 1- Hexacorallia
10:30 Lecture: Cnidaria- Anthozoa 2- Octocorallia
11:00 Lecture: Cnidaria - Scyphozoa
13:00 Truck Trip: Walsingham: Survey scyphozoan
(upside down jellyfish)
Wednesday Pack a Lunch!
Research Assignment 1 due
09:00 Lecture: Cnidaria - Hydrozoa
10:00 Lecture: Cnidaria - Cubozoa
10:30 Lecture: Phylum: Ctenophora
11:00 Boat Dive Trip: Cnidarian Field Identification
(Wreck: Constellation)
Each Buddy Teams finds one of the following:
hard coral, soft coral, anemonie, zooanthid,
and hydrozoan.
Alt dive site: North Rock
Back in time for Dinner
WEEK 4
Worms
Monday
09:00 Lecture: Platyhelminthes (flat worms)
Lecture: Nematoda and relatives
Lecture: Annelida
13:00 Truck Trip: Ferry Reach flats worm lab
Low tide 3:18 PM
Wednesday
Research Assignment 2
09:00 Lab: Worm Lab
13:00 Lecture: Introduction to Arthropods
14:30 Lecture: Marine Arthropod Diversity
WEEK 5
Arthropoda
Monday
09:00 Lecture: Almost Arthropods
10:30 Lecture: Plankton
13:00 Individual Tutorial/Review for Laboratory
Notebooks (TA)
Tuesday
Meet at the Dock
19:00 Boat Trip: Plankton Tow
Wednesday
Scott Lab
Research Assignment 2 Due
10:00 Laboratory: Plankton Lab
13:00 Lab: Arthropod Appreciation (lobster)
Lab: Arthropod Diversity and Structure
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WEEK 6
Mollusca
Monday
10:00 Mid Term Exam, Weeks 1 to 5 (Sunderman)
13:00 Lecture: Mollusk
15:30 Lecture: Cephalopods
Tentacles DVD anytime Monday
Tuesday Night
19:00 Boat Trip - St. Catherine’s. Octopus
Appreciation - night snorkel or dive
Wednesday
Research Assignment 3
09:00 Lab: Mollusk lab
13:00 Computer Lab: Group Web Page Tutorial
You do NOT want to wait until the end of the
session to work on this!!!
WEEK 7
Echinoderms and Lophophorates
Monday
09:00 Lecture: Echinodermata I
10:00 Lecture: Echinodermata II
13:00 Boat Dive or Snorkel Trip: Bailey’s Bay, collect
echinoderms and Bryozoans
Wednesday, Feb 22th
Research Assignment 3 due
09:00 Lecture: Lophophorates
10:00 Individual tutorial for presentations and web
pages.
13:00 Lab: Echinoderm and Lophophorates Lab
Friday 17:00
Web reports may (read should) be turned in
for comments. This is optional but strongly
advised. The more complete and the earlier
you are able to give me your web report, the
more constructive feedback you will receive.
WEEK 8
Hemichordata and Chordata
Monday Sunderman
10:00 Lecture: Hemichordata
11:00 Lecture: Chordata
13:00 Truck Trip: Collecting trip, Between Whale
bone Bay and Coney Island
Wednesday
09:00 Time to work on notebooks, web pages and
presentations
13:00 Lab: Hemichordata and Chordata lab
17:00 Suggested time to turn in lab notebooks
Friday
17:00 Lab notebooks due (they may be turned in
earlierif you wish)
Suggested time for turning in FinalWeb Pages
Week 9
Final Exam, Web site construction
Monday, March 6th
09:00 Computer Lab: Last minute minorcorrections
to web pages
13:00 Student Final Presentations, Open to all of
BIOS
17:00 Final Web Pages due (must be turned in earlier)
Thursday, March 9th
10:00 Final Exam; cumulative
Friday Night Bon Voyage Party
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