Darling Marine Center
193 Clarks Cove Road
Walpole, ME 04573

207-563-3146
207-563-3119 (fax)

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The DMC is well known for courses that take advantage of our unique proximity to the Gulf of Maine and our state-of-the-art flowing seawater classrooms. Many of the courses include a combination of lectures, laboratory sessions and field trips. Lodging and meal service are available on site.

2012 UMaine Accredited May-term & Summer Courses

May-term and summer courses incur regular UMaine tuition and fees.
- UMaine students can register directly through MaineStreet.
- Non-UMaine students, please register through the Office of Continuing and Distance Education/Summer University by calling 207-581-3143.

All of the courses offered at the DMC during May and June offer unique opprotunities for Capstone projects. Students enrolled in these courses and in need of a Capstone project are encouraged to contact the instructor.

**May-term and summer courses will be posted on the University of Maine "Summer University" website beginning February 20. Registration opens February 24.

2012 UMaine Accredited Fall Semester/Semester By the Sea Courses

These fall semester courses are offered together as the Semester By the Sea program, but may be taken individually as well. They incur regular UMaine tuition and fees. UMaine students can register directly through MaineStreet. Non-UMaine students should contact Dr. William Ellis for additional academic and registration information. Room and board are available at the Darling Marine Center for all courses. For more information, contact the Course Coordinator.

scallopsSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Life Histories and Functional Morphology of Commercially Important Marine Invertebrates of Maine

Students will explore the reproductive biology, life histories, and functional morphology (internal and external anatomy) of selected coastal Maine marine invertebrates of commercial importance and special ecological significance. Specimens collected during field trips will be dissected in the lab with an emphasis on learning the comparative morphology of reproductive, digestive, and nervous systems. Where possible, the eggs of sexually mature animals will be fertilized in the lab to observe fertilization and early embryonic cleavage and plankton collections will examine their larvae. Students will learn the basic tissue and organ structure of selected animals using histological techniques (preservation, dehydration, tissue sectioning with a microtome, mounting and staining microscope slides) as well as preparing whole mounts of selected anatomical features (e.g. sponge spicules, cnidarian stinging cells, nemertean stylets, mollusc radulae, crustacean mouth parts, echinoderm pedicellaria etc.). Animals to be studied will include sponges, jellyfish, sandworms, blood worms, lobsters, crabs, shrimp, oysters, scallops, mussels, starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and tunicates. Guest lectures will be provided by representatives from industry on the importance of commercially important species. 3 credits.

samplingSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Estuarine Oceanography

Estuaries are mixing zones between rivers and the ocean. We will examine how river flow, tidal mixing and geomorphology affect mixing and how the mixing process affects various components of estuaries. Fieldwork in mid-coast Maine estuaries will include hydrographic surveys coupled to various sampling, field sensor, and laboratory approaches to provide views of physical, biological, chemical, and sedimentary responses to mixing patterns. Students will learn how dissolved and living and dead particles move through these environments, and how sessile organisms respond to hydrography. We will cover planktonic and benthic ecosystems, with applications to processes such as aquaculture, eutrophication and contaminant dispersal. The course will include the use of models and various forms of data analysis. The fieldwork will be structured by team-oriented student projects. 3 credits.

graphSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
MATLAB for Marine Sciences

Marine science is an increasingly technical field and Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) is the language of technical computing. Students will learn the basics of computer programming in MATLAB: pre and post processing environmental data (I/O), vectorizing code, conditional loops, and visualization. Students will learn how MATLAB interacts with external databases and other programming languages as well as how to produce scientific figures that effectively highlight and communicate their results. However, there is no better way to learn a computing language than to work on an application that interests the student. Students will work on data collected in SMS 491 Estuarine Oceanography (enrollment in this course is not necessary but encouraged) as well as data collected during the course on a field trip to sample a local estuary. Students will be encouraged to work with “real” data either collected by the student on the field trip or downloaded from a field of their own interest (e.g. OBIS SEAMAP for marine mammals or CIMS for estuarine oceanography) to pre-process, analyze, and visualize their data. Advanced mathematical skills are not necessary. This course is also available by Polycom. 2 credits.

oystersSMS 309: Techniques in Shellfish Aquaculture

A one-week residential course during which participants explore the theory and practice of marine bivalve aquaculture as practiced in the Northeastern United States. Bivalve taxonomy, anatomy, reproductive biology and genetics; algal culture; larval rearing techniques; pathology and site selection, water quality and human health issues are among the topics to be covered. Prerequisites: general knowledge of biology or relevant work experience, or graduate standing. 2 credits.

oystersSMS 497: Independent Study
Polar Marine Ecology
- Postponed to 2013. Check back for new dates.

Polar Marine Ecology is designed to give upper-level undergraduates and graduate students a broad and basic knowledge of polar marine processes, and so is suitable for students who have not taken any prior courses in polar ecology.

The course has two sessions. Session 1, June 11-26, at the Darling Marine Center will focus on in-class seminar teaching and learning basic field skills needed for the field school. The focus will be on benthic and pelagic ecosystems of the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as the history of polar explorations and scientific discoveries, and current threats to these unique regions.

Session 2, the field school component, will be taught at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (http://www.churchillscience.ca/) July 3 - 14. On site in the Canadian arctic, students will compare temperate Maine to Hudson Bay through group research projects. Field trips to sites of arctic natural history (polar bears, beluga whales, permafrost etc.) and historical sites (Fort William, Eskimo museum etc.) are also planned.

Days between session 1 and session 2 are travel days. 3 credits

ecology classSMS 352: Marine Ecology

Marine communities and ecological interactions are studied through lectures, field trips along the rocky shore of Maine, and laboratories. Concepts of biodiversity, the food web, and the role of physical and biological limiting factors are developed. Critical and creative thinking and problem solving are enhanced by designing and conducting experiments to test hypotheses. Data analysis and report writing are emphasized. 4 credits.

R/V Ira C.SMS 480: Biology of Marine Invertebrates
(Marine Invertebrates of the Maine Coast)

Most of the biodiversity of the world is made up of small to medium-sized invertebrates that represent 97% of all the animals on the planet. About 1-2-million invertebrates have been described with an estimated 30-million remaining to be discovered. Invertebrates can be divided into approximately 35 basic body plans and they can be found in every marine habitat from the bottom muds to the overlying water and from shallow, intertidal zones to the deep sea. This course will deal with the general biology of coastal and deep water marine invertebrates of the Gulf of Maine including their functional morphology, behavior, ecology, and life histories. Students will study living specimens and will learn to recognize and identify many common species encountered in the region. They will participate in numerous field trips to various coastal habitats to collect specimens, including several trips on a research vessel to collect larvae from the plankton and adult specimens via bottom sampling. An emphasis will be placed on species diversity and body design relative to habitat type. 4 credits.

human impacts classSMS 482: Human Impacts on the Ocean

Human Impacts on the Ocean deals with the many ways in which humans have influenced oceanic processes at local and global scales. We seek to identify changes, which means identifying human influences against a background of natural changes. Examples of areas covered include biological species introductions, nutrient enrichments, oil and other forms of pollution, and manipulation of sediments. 3 credits. (SMS 482 is offered in odd numbered years.)

plankton towSMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Zooplankton and Ichthyoplankton in Marine Ecosystems

This course presents the world of zooplankton, how we study it and our current understanding of zooplankton's role in marine ecosystems. Students receive training in taxonomy and identification, sampling techniques and measurement of rate processes used in determining zooplankton fluxes and population dynamics. Fundamental concepts about biodiversity, the trophic role of zooplankton, factors influencing fish recruitment, and the influence of climate change on pelagic ecosystems are examined. The course consists of a morning lecture followed by instruction in field and laboratory settings to demonstrate methods and lecture concepts. Students participate in coastal transects and learn to sample and identify local zooplankton and planktonic stages of fish. The control of phytoplankton biomass by grazing is measured by short term incubation experiments. Population dynamics is studied by observation of copepod population structure and reproductive rates. The goal is to provide students with an experience of the richness and complexity of zooplankton in their natural environment while learning methodology and critical analysis of data and concepts. 3 credits.

Jump in!SMS 491: Problems in Marine Science -
Introduction to Research Diving, SMS 491

Students will be instructed in advanced diving, dive rescue, oxygen administration, and underwater research techniques. Practical field diving activities will be a large focus of the course. The course will be taught by the UMAINE Diving Safety Officer, selected UMAINE faculty, and guest lecturers experienced in using scuba diving as a research tool.  Following successful completion of course objectives, students will be eligible to participate in diving research projects as a scientific diver-in-training or scientific diver.

If you have a recreational certificate and hope to pursue scientific diving in your academic career, this is the class for you! Interested students should contact Chris at crigaud@maine.edu for further details. 3 credits.