Undergraduate Course Catalog 2006-2007
Special University Programs
Marine Sciences
Undergraduate programs in marine science and ocean engineering at the
University of New Hampshire reflect the diversity of the ocean itself
and are enriched by easy access to a variety of natural laboratories,
including tidal rivers, estuaries, coastal areas, and the open ocean.
Studies in marine science and ocean engineering are
offered through various departments of the University. Students
identify the discipline (ranging from zoology through earth sciences to
mechanical engineering) they like best and pursue marine
specializations related to that area of study. Studies can take place
in research laboratories on campus as well as at various field stations
or aboard UNH research vessels.
Marine Program
The Marine Program provides a campuswide umbrella for marine activities
and maintains specialized facilities to support efforts of faculty in
individual departments and organized research units. Academic programs
are focused broadly on marine biology, ocean engineering, and ocean
science, and the Marine Program supports experiential learning
opportunities beyond the formal classroom through three centers, the
Center for Marine Biology, the Center for Ocean Engineering, and the
Center for Ocean Sciences.
Estuarine research is pursued at the Jackson
Estuarine Laboratory on Great Bay, which is designated a National
Estuarine Research Reserve. The Coastal Marine Laboratory, a major
running-seawater facility, is located in nearby Newcastle. Research on
salmonids and other freshwater animals is conducted at the Anadromous
Fish and Aquatic Invertebrate Research Laboratory, located near the
Durham reservoir. The Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and
Space is a major center for ocean sciences research. The on-campus
Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory houses both educational and research
activities. Off-shore and coastal studies are carried out aboard the
University's 50-foot research vessel, the Gulf Challenger, which has
docking facilities at the Jackson Lab and at the State Fish Pier in
Portsmouth Harbor. During the summer, students may live and study at
the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island, one of the Isles of
Shoals. There UNH and Cornell University cooperatively offer
undergraduate courses in marine sciences in a summer field laboratory
setting. Each of the marine program facilities features modern
specialized equipment and opportunities for undergraduate students to
work and carry out independent research.
Curricula in the Marine Sciences
There are currently two undergraduate majors and four minors in the
marine sciences. The College of Life Sciences and Agriculture offers a
B.S. in biology with an option in marine and freshwater biology (see
biology under COLSA) and the Department of Earth Sciences offers an
option in oceanography as part of its B.A. earth sciences program (see
page 71). In addition to these offerings, students can declare a major
in any established discipline and augment it with a minor in marine
biology, ocean engineering, oceanography, or wetland ecology.
Students are encouraged to declare their intention to follow these programs as soon as possible.
Marine Biology Minor
The minor in marine biology is available to all students in the
University interested in obtaining a broad background in marine
biology. The minor consists of 20 credits with grades of C- or better
and no pass/fail courses. No more than 8 major requirement credits may
be used. All courses in the program are selected in consultation with a
minor adviser. Contact Dr. Larry Harris, (603) 862-3897, Department of
Zoology, for more information.
Students who want to minor in marine biology must
take one introductory course (ESCI 501, Introduction to Oceanography;
ZOOL/PBIO 503, Introduction to Marine Biology; or ZOOL 674, Field
Marine Science) and four courses concentrating on an area of interest.
For example, a student interested in marine mammals might take
Mammalogy (ZOOL 712), Marine Invertebrate Evolution and Ecology (ZOOL
628), Marine Vertebrates (ZOOL 753), and Fisheries Biology (ZOOL 772).
Courses commonly taken as part of the minor include BCHM 702; EREC 610,
611; NR 610; PBIO 625, 721, 722, 725, 727; ENE 747; MICR 707, 714;
ZOOL/PBIO 503 and ZOOL 610, 611, 628, 674, 710, 711, 720, 722, 730,
750, 751, 753, 772, 773, 775, 795. In addition, students are encouraged
to become involved in a research project, either by working in a
professor's laboratory or by participating in the Undergraduate Ocean
Research Program (TECH 797).
Students should declare their intention to minor in
marine biology before the end of the junior year. During the final
term, students should apply to the dean to have the minor shown on
their transcript.
Ocean Engineering Minor
The ocean engineering minor allows undergraduate engineering students
to acquire a nucleus of knowledge about engineering pertaining to the
ocean and the coastal zone.
To meet the University minor requirement, students
must satisfactorily complete a minimum of five courses from the
following list: ESCI 501, Introduction to Oceanography; OE 690,
Introduction to Ocean Engineering; ESCI 752, Chemical Oceanography;
ESCI 758, Introductory Physical Oceanography; ESCI 759, Geological
Oceanography; OE 710, Ocean Measurements Lab; OE 744, Corrosion; OE
753, Ocean Hydrodynamics; OE 754, Ocean Waves and Tides; OE 756,
Principles of Naval Architecture and Model Testing; OE 770,
Introduction to Ocean Mapping; OE 771, Geodesy and Positioning for
Ocean Mapping; OE 781, OE 785, Underwater Acoustics; OE 795, Special
Topics in Ocean Engineering; ENE 747, Introduction to Marine Pollution
and Control; OE 757, Coastal Engineering and Processes; and TECH 797,
Undergraduate Ocean Research Program. Ordinarily, students typically
take ESCI 501, TECH 797, and OE 690 plus two additional engineering
courses from the above list to complete the minor.
Students wishing to take the ocean engineering minor
should indicate their interest to the ocean engineering minor adviser,
Dr. Kenneth C. Baldwin, (603) 862-1898, Chase Ocean Engineering
Laboratory, no later than the beginning of the junior year. During the
final semester, students must apply to the dean to have the minor shown
on their transcript.
Oceanography Minor
The minor in oceanography is available to all students in the
University interested in obtaining a broad background in oceanography
and is offered through the Department of Earth Sciences. The minor
consists of a minimum of five courses with grades of C (2.00) or better
and no pass/fail courses. No more than 8 major requirement credits may
be used. All courses in the program are selected in consultation with
the oceanography minor adviser, James Pringle, (603) 862-5000,
Department of Earth Sciences.
Required courses include 1) ESCI 501, Introduction
to Oceanography; 2) two of the following courses: ESCI 750, Biological
Oceanography; ESCI 752, Chemical Oceanography; ESCI 758, Introductory
Physical Oceanography; ESCI 759, Geological Oceanography; 3) any two of
the following courses, or a suitable substitute approved by the minor
adviser (at least one of these courses should be in the biological
sciences): PBIO 625, 722; CIE 757; ENE 747, 753; ESCI 653, 658, 754,
756, 760, 770, 771; MICR 707; OE 690, 710, 753, 754, 757, 785; EREC
611; TECH 797; ZOOL 503, 560, 674, 720, 725, 730, 751, 753, 772, 775;
ZOOL/ESCI/750.
Students are encouraged to declare their intention
to minor in oceanography before the end of the junior year. During the
final semester, students should apply to the dean to have the minor
shown on their transcript.
Wetland Ecology
The minor in wetland ecology, offered through the natural resources
department, is available to all students in the University interested
in additional background in wetland ecology. More information is
available from Dr. David Burdick, (603) 862-5129, natural resources
department.
The following courses must be completed with at
least a C- or better. No more than 8 credits may be used to satisfy the
requirements of both the major and the minor programs: NR 504
Freshwater Resources or NR 703 Watershed WQ Management and 711 Wetland
Resources Management and at least one of the following: NR 716 Wetland
Delineation; NR 719 Wetland Mitigation and Restoration; or ZOOL 708
Stream Ecology. Elective courses, to make a total of 20 credits, may be
chosen from plant survey taxonomy or identification courses, soil
survey taxonomy or identification courses; or NR 602, NR 721,
ZOOL 725, ESCI 653, NR 527, NR 765, MICR 713.
Students should declare their intention to minor in
wetland ecology before the end of the junior year. During the final
term, students should apply to the dean to have the minor shown on
their transcript.
Shoals Marine Laboratory
The University of New Hampshire, in cooperation with Cornell
University, offers a summer field program in marine sciences on
Appledore Island of the Isles of Shoals. Undergraduate courses
introduce students to a broad array of marine sciences, including
oceanography, marine biology, fisheries, and marine resources.
Introduction to Marine Science (ZOOL 474), a three-week, 4-credit
course, is offered every other summer at the Shoals Marine Laboratory. It has
no prerequisites and satisfies the general education requirement in the
biological sciences. The four-week, 8-credit general courses, Field
Marine Science (ZOOL 674) and Field Marine Biology and Ecology (ZOOL
675), are offered in June and mid-July, respectively, each summer. They
draw upon the backgrounds of numerous faculty and others associated
with marine science and fisheries. There are daily lectures and work in
laboratory and field. The courses are graded on a letter-grade basis;
at least one full year of college biology or the equivalent is a
prerequisite. All SML courses may be taken for Honors credits by UNH students with a minimum 3.2 GPA.
Other credit courses are offered in marine botany,
invertebrate zoology, experimental ecology, ornithology, animal
behavior, fish ecology, coastal ecology and bioclimatology, wetlands,
marine vertebrates, coastal policy, underwater research, and biological
illustration.
Undergraduate research for credit is an option where
students carry out part or all of an independent project at Shoals
under the guidance of Shoals faculty. Shoals offers generous financial
aid to UNH students outside of the normal UNH financial aid packages.
For further information, contact Dr. Jessica Bolker at (603) 862-0071,
or e-mail jbolker@cisunix.unh.edu, Department of Zoology, and consult the maine Web site at www.sml.cornell.edu.
Diving Program
The UNH diving program offers instruction in SCUBA diving and research
diving techniques. It also provides professional diving support for
underwater research. The Shoals Marine Laboratory offers courses in
marine archaeology and underwater research during the summer, under the
guidelines of UNH diving regulations. For further information, contact
Liz Kintzing, diving program officer, through the Diving Program
Office, Field House, (603) 862-3896.
Marine Research
There are many opportunities for undergraduates to participate in marine research under the supervision of UNH faculty.
The University has a Sea Grant College Program that
supports research, teaching, and service projects through numerous
partnerships with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Marine research projects are also supported through the National
Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of
Naval Research, and other state and federal agencies, foundations and
private donors.
Extensive research, interdisciplinary academic
programs, and the extraordinary variety of marine environments and
facilities allow students to observe and learn about the frontiers of
science and technology being explored in the ocean. For further
information about marine opportunities, contact the Marine Program
Office in the Jere A. Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory or through the
Marine Program Web site at marine.unh.edu.
