- Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems

Institution:

The Evergreen State College

Subject:

Description:

Faculty: Amy Cook (aquatic biology), Robert Cole (systems science, sustainability) Major areas of study include general biology, freshwater ecology, sustainability of aquatic systems, aquatic biology, river restoration and political ecology. Class Standing: This Core program is designed for freshmen. Total: 16 credits each quarter. Enrollment: 46 Special Expenses: $175 each quarter for overnight field trips. Program is preparatory for careers and future studies in environmental studies, freshwater biology, political ecology, ichthyology, community ecology and sustainability. Water is one of the most important chemical compounds in our lives. It is the presence of water on our planet that has allowed life to develop here. We could not live without freshwater, but everyday, all over the world people are doing things that degrade the quality of our water resources and reduce the quantity of it that is available for our needs and the needs of other organisms. In Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems we will study the needs of organisms, including ourselves, for water and how we can act today to assure future generations of humans, fishes, frogs and dragonflies sufficient amounts of high-quality water. This program will look at a variety of concepts centered on freshwater biology, human impacts on aquatic systems and the sustainable use of our freshwater resources. The primary learning goals for students in the program include the development of a solid grounding in the biology of aquatic organisms and their ecology and evolution, an understanding of the basic hydrological and geological processes at work in watershed structure and function, the development of good writing and observational skills, and an understanding of how humans use and impact water resources and how we can modify that use to provide future generations with safe and plentiful water. In fall quarter, we will adopt a systems approach to the hydrological cycle, and will focus on watershed structure and function. We will examine the structure, physiology and taxonomy of aquatic organisms through lectures and labs. Students will be introduced to the foundational concepts of field ecology including observations, sampling and measurement. Seminar readings will provide examples of how humans view aquatic ecosystems and how those views impact their interactions with those systems. In winter quarter, we will continue to study the interactions of aquatic organisms and the structure of aquatic communities through ecology and evolutionary biology and learn more advanced field techniques in freshwater biology. We will explore introductory topics in limnology. In spring, we will look at the human-aquatic system interaction in more detail. We will study the major concepts of sustainability and how these can be applied to watershed management and restoration ecology and its role in rescuing degraded aquatic habitats. Total: 16 credits each quarter. Enrollment: 46 Special Expenses: $175 each quarter for overnight field trips.

Credits:

16.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.evergreen.edu

Phone Number:

(360) 867-6170

Regional Accreditation:

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Calendar System:

Quarter

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