BS in Marine Vertebrate Biology
The Marine Vertebrate Biology major provides students with a solid background in basic biology with an emphasis on marine vertebrate organisms such as fish, sharks, birds, turtles and marine mammals. It provides a more intensive zoology background than the Marine Sciences degree.
Students are encouraged to participate in research and internships. Opportunities for experiential learning are available through field and laboratory courses taught at or near the Stony Brook Southampton and Stony Brook campuses.
Most students who wish to have a career in research related to the marine environment will need to plan for graduate study. Career possibilities include research, education, or employment in government agencies or non-profit organizations.
The Marine Vertebrate Biology major is administered by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), one of the leading oceanographic institutions in the nation. It is the center for marine research, education, and public service in the marine and environmental sciences for the State University of New York system. In addition, SoMAS is the University at Stony Brook's center for research, education, and public service in the atmospheric sciences. SoMAS is one of the nation's leading coastal oceanographic and atmospheric institutions, and the expertise of the SoMAS faculty places them at the forefront of addressing and answering questions about regional environmental problems, as well as problems relating to the global ocean and atmosphere. The primary focus of the SoMAS faculty is on fundamental research designed to increase understanding of the processes that characterize the coastal ocean and the atmosphere. SoMAS is also committed to applying the results of research to solve problems arising from society's uses and misuses of the environment. The Center includes institutes in several major areas: the Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres, the Living Marine Resources Institute, the Long Island Groundwater Resource Institute, and the Waste Reduction and Management Institute. The institutes and many research projects add a wealth of varied resources to education and research at Stony Brook and Stony Brook Southampton.
All students should consult with their advisor to design and approve an acceptable course of study before declaring the major. Courses for this major are offered at both the Stony Brook Southampton and Stony Brook campuses.
Requirements
The major in Marine Vertebrate Biology leads to a Bachelor of Sciences degree. Completion of the major requires between 69 and 74 credits. Of these no more than one course (4 credits) with a grade lower than C can be credited to the major.
1. Foundation Courses (43-46 credits)
BIO 201 Organisms to Ecosystems
BIO 202 Molecular and Cellular Biology
BIO 203 Cellular and Organ Physiology
BIO 204 Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in Bio Sciences – Lab I
BIO 205 Fundamentals of Scientific Inquiry in Bio Sciences – Lab II
CHE 131/133, 132/134 General Chemistry and Lab (see Note 1)
CHE 321 Organic Chemistry
MAT 125, 126 Calculus (See Note 2)
ENS/PHY 119 Physics for Environmental Studies
and MAR 352/353 Introduction to Physical Oceanography/Lab,
or PHY 121/123, 122/124 Physics for Life Sciences and labs (see Note 3)
AMS 102 or AMS 110 Statistics
2. Zoology and Marine Vertebrate Core (13 credits)
BIO 344 Chordate Zoology
BIO 354 Evolution
or BIO 320 Genetics
Two of the following:
MAR 370 Marine Mammals
MAR 371 The Biology and Conservation of Marine Birds and Sea Turtles
MAR 380 Ichthyology
3. Marine Biology (12-14)
MAR 349 Biological Oceanography
or BIO 353 Marine Ecology
Three electives from below:
BIO 328 Mammalian Physiology
BIO 343 Invertebrate Zoology
BIO 351 Ecology
BIO 359 Behavioral Ecology
MAR 301 Environmental Microbiology
or MAR 302 Marine Microbiology
MAR 303 Long Island Marine Habitats
MAR 305 Experimental Marine Biology
MAR 315 Conservation Biology
MAR 366 Plankton Ecology
MAR 385 Fisheries Biology
MAR 487 Research
or MAR 488 Internship (maximum of three credits can be used for required elective)
4. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
All students in the major must submit two papers from any upper division course in the major to the director of undergraduate programs for evaluation by the end of the junior year.
Notes:
1. CHE 141/143, 142/144 Honors Chemistry and Lab may be substituted for CHE 131/133, 132/134
2. MAT 131, 132 or MAT 141, 142 may be substituted for MAT 125, 126
3. PHY 125, 126, 127 or PHY 131/133, 132/134 or PHYS 141, 142 may be substituted for the two-semester physics sequences listed above
For a complete list of courses offered in Marine Vertebrate Biology with links to descriptions, click here.