CSU Marine Biology Semester:
Marine Biology Semester
Santa Catalina Island
FALL 2012
27 August 2012 - 7 December 2012
(Thanksgiving Break 22-26 November)
If you are interested in attending the Fall 2012 Catalina Semester,
please fill out the following Application/Interest Form!
Quick Links:
| Overview - Facilities - Costs - Courses - Instructors - Forms - Photos |
Application and additional information can be obtained by contacting:
| Mr. Tom Chavez CSU Marine Biology Semester at Catalina Ocean Studies Institute 820 S. Seaside Ave Terminal Island, CA 90731-7330 310-519-3172 osi.catalina@gmail.com |
Applications will be taken until all open spaces are filled. Qualified students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For Fall 2012, after screening by the OSI faculty, registration will be through through the administrative campus of OSI, California State University Northridge (CSUN). CSUN students will register directly through that campus. Other CSU students will need to fill out the Intrasystem Visitor Enrollment form, which will enable registration through CSUN. Units may then be transferred to the appropriate campus. Non-CSU students will need to register through CSUN’s Extended Education Program.
- Completed Application Form, available here or by mail
- Official college or university transcripts
- The e-mail address of a faculty member you have asked to provide a letter of recommendation
- $50 application fee payable to USC/SCMI. This fee is credited toward the program cost and will be returned if applicant is not accepted
This semester-long program provides an intensive undergraduate exposure to marine biology, and is designed for students with a serious commitment to environmental and marine science. The program is based at the Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC), situated on Santa Catalina Island, 26 miles from Los Angeles, CA. This location provides access to beautiful, pristine marine habitats, diverse marine life and breathtaking island views. WMSC is owned and operated by the University of Southern California (USC), and the program is being offered through the California State Universities, affiliated with the Ocean Studies Institute (OSI) and the Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI).
“My time in Catalina was invaluable to my development as a student and as a person. I learned much more than information from a book, I learned how to think for myself and solve problems. The Catalina semester played a crucial role in my decision to attend graduate school, something that I’d never thought I could do. The memories and friendships I’ve made will always hold a special place in my heart. I recommend this trip to anyone looking for an amazing educational experience that will shape the outcome of your future.”
Mari Rosales 2003
Students will spend 15 weeks on Santa Catalina Island and will be based in the newly-renovated dormitory and laboratory facilities. Residency at this marine laboratory provides ready access to an invigorating educational environment that provides both state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and ready access to a diversity of marine habitats. Throughout the semester, students are introduced to a sequence of courses (Fall 2011: Marine Ichthyology, Environmental Physiology and Toxicology in Marine Animals, and Marine Community Ecology) that prepare them to complete a directed research study in a topic of their choice. All courses provide a strong element of hands-on field experience, which provides the comprehensive training that can help in career choices and graduate decisions. A research diving certification course is planned for a two-week period before the semester begins from July to August, at an additional cost for qualified students who wish to dive on SCUBA during the semester. However, only snorkeling skills are required for class participation. Please note: these courses will occupy daytime and in many cases, evening hours, including some weekends.
“Deciding to do the Catalina Semester was the best decision of my college career! It immerses you into the marine biology world - and it gave me research and field experience that helped me both get and do my job. It was an all-around amazing experience!”
Allysa Floyd 2005
Facilities
at the Wrigley Marine Science Center
Students live on a private and undeveloped portion of Santa Catalina Island, approximately 40-50 minutes’ walk from the Two Harbors settlement which provides access to the commercial ferry to Los Angeles. On-site accommodations are residential dormitory-style, and students receive three meals a day. The laboratory is a short walk from the dorms and includes teaching labs and a well-equipped lecture auditorium. Daily instruction consists of lectures, lab work, and field work in nearby marine habitats. SCUBA diving can be accommodated through the OSI Scientific Diving Program which operates within the framework of the AAUS diving program.
| A. Tuition (15 semester units)* | ||
| CSU Undergraduate student | $ | 2,761 |
| CSU Graduate Student | $ | 3,329 |
| Non-CSU Student | $ | 3,555 |
| B. Board and Lodging | ||
| (Same for all students) | $ | 4,389 |
| C. Lab and Facility Fees | ||
| CSU and students from other CA universities | $ | 807 |
| Students from out-of-state universities | $ | 5,129 |
*Notes:
- All Costs for Fall 12′ are subject to change.
- Two round-trip passages to the island are included (at the start and end of the semester, and over Thanksgiving).
- There will be additional costs for books, dissecting equipment, library privileges and personal field equipment.
OSI Courses - Fall 2012
(upper division)
Marine Biology
(Biol 421/L; 4 units)
27 August - 21 September
Marine life of the world with special emphasis on the shore and shallow seas. Identification, distribution, physiological and morphological adaptaion of marine forms at Santa Catalina.
Instructors: Dr. Steven R. Dudgeon (Dr. Larry G. Allen; guest lecturer)
Marine Inverterbrate Zoology
(Biol 313/L; 392B; 4 units)
24 September - 19 October
This course provides a classical overview of marine invertebrate diversity, structure and function through a combination of lecture, lab and field experiences.
Instructors: Dr. Peter Edmunds
Marine Phycology
(Biol 504/L; 592P; 4 units)
22 October - 16 November
This course covers the taxonomy, morphology, physiology, and ecology of the major algal groups.
Instructors: Dr. Robert C. Carpenter
Directed Research
(Biol 495C/695C; 3 units)
19 November - 7 December (except Thanksgiving break)
Students develop their ideas during the first 12 weeks of the semester, prepare a research proposal, complete their studies, and present their findings in a mini-symposium and a report.
Instructors: Drs. Dudgeon, Edmunds, & Carpenter
Directed Undergraduate Research
(Biol 490/495; 1, 3 units)
A student may request to take 4 units as a combination of 490 or 495, with the consent of the instructors, to replace one of the three 4-unit classes if the student has already taken that class.
Dr. Larry G. Allen (Marine Biology) received his Ph.D. in 1980 from the University of Southern California and has been on the faculty at CSUN since 1982. His research has focused on the biogeography and ecology of California coastal marine fishes.
Dr. Robert C. Carpenter (Phycology) received his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Georgia in 1984 and has maintained research in coral reef algal communities, herbivore-algal interactions, and how the physical environment influences the structure and function of shallow-water communities. He and his students have studied the physiological ecology of algae that live in the kelp understory environment at Santa Catalina Island.
Dr. Steven R. Dudgeon (Marine Biology) received his Ph.D. from the Univeristy of Maine in 1992. His research interests focus on the unique biological features of clonal algae and invertebrates, the evolution of life history and morphological traits and how these traites influence the dynamics of the communities in which they live. The temperate rocky intertidal zone is the experimental system used to explore these concepts.
Dr. Peter J. Edmunds (Invertebrate Zoology) received his Ph.D. in 1986 from the University of Glasgow and has been on the faculty at CSUN since 1992/ His research focuses on the physiological ecology of temperate and tropical reef invertebrates and corals.
CSU Marine Biology Semester Forms
CSU Catalina Semester 2010 Forms.zip
