UA Southeast Undergraduate Courses:

Fall 2024

  • BIOL S349 - Biological Oceanography (3 credits):

    Provides foundational knowledge about the biology of our world's oceans, including events of ancient oceans that are central to the rise of our modern oceans. Students will learn about today's ocean, the diversity of ecosystems from the shoreline to the deep, and the physical, chemical, and geological drivers of ecosystem patterns. Students will also learn about how the ocean is changing, climate disruption processes, and about some of the most promising solutions to these challenges.

  • BIOL S362 - Genetics (4 credits):

    Principles of inheritance; physiochemical properties of genetic systems.
    Prerequisites: BIOL S115 and BIOL S116; CHEM S106; and MATH S151.

  • BIOL S298/ S398/S498 - Independent Undergraduate Research in Oceanography (2-3 credits):

    Individual research in the biological sciences undertaken by a student in consultation with a member of the biology program faculty. Students may submit research ideas to faculty and develop them into a project with faculty input. See “students” and “lab alumni” sections for past projects to ensure your proposed idea is appropriate.

  • PE S200 - Ocean Diving (2 credits):

    Designed to improve ocean diving skills. Basic scuba equipment review, underwater navigation, night diving, basic deep diving patterns, small boat diving techniques. Intended as intermediate program for basic scuba divers and introduction to Juneau regional diving environment; lectures, two pool sessions, eight dives.

Spring 2025

  • BIOL S110 - Introduction to Marine Fisheries (3 credits):

    Explores the patterns of fishery species diversity, and the resilience and sustainability that result. Introduces the complexity of what constitutes a fishery and factors that have led some fisheries to collapse and others to persist. Students will gain a better understanding of the science of sustainability in Alaska, with a focus on 21st-century global fishery challenges, such as climate change.

  • BIOL S116 - Fundamentals in Biology II (4 credits):

    GER. The second of a two-part course series for science majors. Covers speciation, organismal diversity, form and function of plants and animals, and ecology.

    Prerequisites: BIOL S115 and MATH S151 or concurrent enrollment

  • BIOL S298/S398/S498 - Independent Undergraduate Research in Oceanography (See above for details)

  • PE S200 - Ocean Diving (See above for details):

  • PE S210 -Advanced Diving (4 credits):

    Designed to develop advanced diver skills and safety procedures. Intended for experienced divers new to diving in Southeast Alaska, for divers re-entering diving and for divers with basic or intermediate skills who want to develop advanced diver experience. The course consists of lectures focusing on dive safety, equipment systems, the marine environment, and procedures and techniques for advanced diving specialties. Open water dives include night diving, deep and shallow diving, drift diving, underwater navigation exercises, and search and recovery exercises. The dives serve as an orientation to a variety of Southeast Alaska as dive conditions, dive sites, and promote diver safety and awareness. 4 hours lab per week required.

OTHER COURSES Taught

  • BIOL S115 - Fundamental in Biology I (4 credits):

    GER. Introduction to basic principles of cell biology and evolution. Topics include cell structure, metabolism, and genetics.
    Prerequisite: MATH S105 or concurrent enrollment.

  • BIOL S311 - Communicating Science (3 credits):

    Introduction to writing and speaking in a variety of scientific and technical forms. This includes writing reports, journal articles, grant proposals, and speaking at scientific meetings and seminars, community events, and to the popular press. Practice in writing for different audiences, editing, using online bibliographic programs, and presenting completed works to an audience of peers.

    Prerequisite: WRTG S211 and upper division standing in a science degree program.

  • BIOL S375 - Current Topics in Biology: Global Trends in Fisheries (2 credits):

    Students will review, discuss, and write about primary literature concerning three new trends in Global Fisheries. These include 1) Global fishing trends including new fishing techniques and associated extraction limitations 2) The rise of invertebrate fisheries and 3) Climate change impacts on seafood security. The last four weeks of class will be used to focus on how these global trends have created opportunities and challenges for Southeast Alaska fisheries.

  • BIOL S491 - Fisheries Internship (1-4 credits):

  • BIOL S492 - Biology Seminar (1 credit):

    Provides students with first-hand accounts of current research in the biological sciences. Seminar speakers will present research results in a variety of subdisciplines, and students will discuss the significance with presenters and instructor. May be repeated for credit.

    Prerequisite: BIOL S116.

  • BIOL S475 - Oceanographic Expedition (4 credits):

    Explores the coastal oceanography of Alaska, with particular emphasis on the inside passage and connections between glaciers and ocean processes and includes one-week sea kayaking expedition to a glacial fjord. Students will experience paddling in glacial fjords, observe them as an interface between the cryosphere and the ocean, see the range of ecosystem functions and services to natural and human communities they provide, and identify how they are sensitive to climate change. Students will participate in oceanographic expedition planning and implementation, use autonomous sensors and scientific instruments, identify key oceanographic principles through field observations, and develop skills to document their scientific observations using a scientific notebook, audio, photo, and video recordings. Includes a week-long paddling expedition to a SE Alaska fjord and tide-water glacier. See webpage for updates:

    https://kayakoceanography.alaska.edu/

    Prerequisites: PE S133/ODS S133, BIOL S115, and BIOL S116.