NEW COURSE PROPOSAL
Originator	Thomas Bridgeman, 8373, thomas.bridgeman@utoledo.edu
Department	ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Level	Undergraduate
Program Change	No
Type of Course	Core: Nat. Sci.
Alpha Code	EEES-1150
Title	Marine Biology
Starting/Frequency	Spring 2008/ Every year
Enrollment	150
Cross-List/Level	None
Hours/Mode	3/Lecture
Reg/Repeat	No/No
Grading	Grade Only (A-F, PR, I)
Pre-/Co-requisites	None
Catalog Description	An exploration of life in the world's oceans, emphasizing how marine organisms thrive in broadly diverse environments. Topics include the major ocean habitats and ecological relationships among associated flora/fauna.
Syllabus	See attached
Curriculum Fit	This would be an introductory course for non-majors which has not been previously offered at the University of Toledo. Besides covering the familiar and appealing topics of coral reef fishes, kelp forests, sharks, whales, etc., this course would emphasize ecological relationships in marine environments, helping students to develop an appreciation of the complexity, interconnectedness, and delicacy of marine habitats. Evolutionary relationships and marine conservation will also be covered. Because marine biology is a popular subject of books, movies, and television, we anticipate broad appeal of this course.
Similarity to Other Courses	The closest comparable courses are Oceanography ( EEES 2400) which covers the physical, chemical, and geological aspects of oceans and Aquatic Ecology (EEES 4730), an advanced majors course which focuses on freshwater habitats. Neither of these courses has substantial overlap with the proposed course.