Biology 320
The Atoll
Atoll as ecosystem and as human environment. Formation, structure, distribution,
biota.
General Information
- Instructor: Dr. Sheila Conant (Dean 101, 956-8241)
- Credits: 3
- Offered: This is not scheduled for future offering. Check
with the Biology Office for more information.
- Pre: two semesters of introductory science or consent.
- Textbooks: There is an extensive reading list for this course.
Topics
- Introduction
- Distribution and some characteristics of the World's atolls
- Geology of atolls
- More geology of atolls
- Physical environments of atolls
- Atoll topography
- Dispersal: filters, barriers and mechanisms
- From reefs to turfs: algal diversity on atolls
- Reefs: broad patterns in space and time
- Corals and atolls
- Reef fish communities: ecology, life history and dispersal
- More on the paleontology of reefs
- Reef invertebrates: an overview
- Molluscs on reefs
- Marine mammals in atoll ecosystems
- The terrestrial biota of atolls -- overview
- Terrestrial plant communities on atolls
- Atoll archaeology
- Seabirds on atolls
- Public health issues in Pacific island communities
- People and plants in atoll ecosystems
- Human impact on atoll environments -- marine ecosystems
- Human impact on atoll environments -- terrestrial ecosystems
- Wildlife management issues in atoll ecosystems
- Economic and maritime law issues
- Economic development and environmental impact on atolls (2x)
- The future of human communities in modern atoll environments
Disclaimer: This information has been obtained from the syllabus for the Spring 1993
class offering and is only partial information about the course. It is not an authorized
syllabus and does not offer any guarantee that the course was taught according to this
outline then or will be taught this way in the future. It is only intended for general
planning.