Biology 463

Tomorrow is the first day of class for students in Chemosensory Biology. I experience a mixture of excitement, anticipation, and dread. I am excited to take part in a class that I expect to learn a great deal from. I dread that the long hours of 9-5 will make completing assignments for other classes difficult.

I will clarify the course information. BU offers a “marine semester” in which biology majors meeting the requirements (minimum GPA and prerequisites) may take a series of “block” courses each lasting 4 weeks. The classes focus on research methods in marine biology. The classes are similar in length, intensity-+y, and focus to summer programs in Woods Hole where the entire BU Marine Science pro/gram was held prior to 2006.

The 14 students registered to begin tomorrow have completed their first block course. I hope this means that they are more than ready to begin mine. Interestingly enough, I am not technically a marine biologist however the focus of the course is more broadly on sensory biology and the study of behavior, both of which I am interested in.

Here is an exerpt from the class schedule/syllabus

SCHEDULE
Sensory Biology BI 463/663
Lecture and Lab Schedule
Fall 2007

Course Instructor: Prof. Jelle Atema
Teaching Assistant: Joel
Lecture Room: BRB 113
Lab: BRB 322, 330, B23
Office: BRB 307 (Jelle), BRB 303 (Joel)
Prof. and TF Office Hours: Daily 12:00-5:00 PM as needed
Evenings & weekends as arranged

TEXTBOOKS:
Martin, P. and P. Bateson (1993). Measuring Behavior: An Introductory Guide. 2^nd edition. Cambridge University Press, NY.
Vogel, S (1994) Life in Moving Fluids. 2^nd ed. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

ON RESERVE:
Atema et al. (1988) Sensory Biology of Aquatic Animals. Springer Verlag, New York, NY.

SCHEDULE:
Week 1

Monday, October 1

9:30-11:45 Overview, Goals, Organization

COFFEE BREAK (snack & hot drink schedule sign)

Proposed research projects.

12:00-1:00 EBE Seminar: Inez Ibanez, U of CT, “Challenges of Modeling Invasive Species Spread”

1:00-2:00 lecture/discussion: Mudsnails: Chemical Signals/Chemical Ecology (from field to lab & back) Quantification and Experimental Design

2:00-3:00 Observe potential research animals in the lab.

3:00-5:00 1. Stimulus control and quantification: Flume construction, design & use.
Visualization and control of flow, effect of obstacles. Large and small flumes to demonstrate.
2. (Behavioral) Response quantification: Choice of research animal and behavior, measuring techniques

Tuesday, October 2

8:00- 5:00 Field trip to Little Sippewissett Marsh
NOTE: We must leave promptly at 8:00 am to make this day work.
Observe behavior of animals and fluids in the field. Collect animals for research.

1:00-2:00 Lobster (?) Lunch in Woods Hole

4:00-5:00 Take care of animal collection back in Boston

Week 1 (Continued)

Wednesday, October 3

9:30-9:35 ***Quiz #1 covering Martin & Bateson Chapters 1&2***

9:35-12:00 Odor Plumes: dispersal, plume structure, signal detection (noise)

Eddy chemotaxis (lobster, nautilus, sea stars & catfish)

Research proposal writing. Research questions and experimental design. Finalize research teams.

12:00-1:00 BUMP Seminar: John Mandelman, New England Aquarium. "Stressed out fishes: the rigors and consequences of fishing capture"

1:00-(5:00) Develop research questions and experimental design.