Marine Vertebrates of the Gulf of Maine

Course Dates

Section 1- August 4, 2025 to August 11, 2025

Section 2- August 11, 2025 to August 18, 2025

Prerequisites

Two year-long high school courses in science, and completion of grades 10, 11 or 12.

You do not need to have taken SML's Marine Environmental Science course to enroll in Marine Vertebrates of the Gulf of Maine.

Course Description

This course will introduce students to the biology and conservation of marine vertebrates of the Gulf of Maine based on field observations, fishing, dissection, study of skeletons, and first-hand reports from fishermen, ornithologists, and mammalogists. Open-water cruises will give students the opportunity to observe fish, whale, seal and bird behavior. Lecture and lab material is organized phylogenetically: instruction begins with a consideration of early vertebrates, hagfishes and lampreys; continues with the study of cartilaginous and bony fishes; migratory sea turtles, sea- and shorebirds; and ends with an overview of marine mammals, seals and whales.

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• Describe the evolutionary relationships among the marine vertebrates, including morphological similarities due to common ancestry
• Describe specific adaptations to the marine environment among different groups of vertebrates
• Identify common species of marine vertebrates in the Gulf of Maine and describe basic information about their natural history and behavior
• Address current conservation issues and management efforts for marine vertebrate species

This course is a university level course, designed for advanced high school students. Students will earn Cornell University credit.