Botany 482

Adaptations of Plants to the Marine Environment

General Information

• Instructor: Dr. Celia Smith (St. John 614A, 956-6947)
• Lecture: M, W, F: 10:30 to 11:20 (St. John 603)
• Text: The Physiological Ecology of the Seaweeds by C. Lobban, P. Harrison and M. Duncan. Cambridge University Press. 1985.

Lecture Topics

• Introduction to the course
• Systematics of green algae
• Systematics of brown algae
• Systematics of diatoms
• Systematics of other phytoplankton groups
• Systematics of seagrasses
• Diversity of cell construction among algae/seagrasses
• Coastal processes - wave force
• Coastal processes - nutrient cycles
• Pelagic phenomena - especially nutrient inputs
• Photosynthesis
• Respiration
• Nutrient assimilation
• Water relations and ion regulation
• Hormones
• Exam 1
• Morphological adaptations
• Biomechanics of algal morphologies and wave forces
• Reproduction by spores, fragments or seeds
• Irradiance in the ocean
• Adaptations to irradiance
• Mechanisms for irradiance adaptation by plankton
• Mechanisms for irradiance adaptation by macrophytes
• Carbon in marine environments
• Adaptations for carbon acquisition
• Mechanisms for adaptations to high/low carbon levels
• Temperature in the marine environment
• Adaptations to temperature changes
• Mechanisms for temperature adaptations
• Role of temperature adaptation in algal biogeography
• Nutrients in the marine environment
• Adaptations to variable nitrogen levels
• Adaptations to variable levels of other nutrients
• Mechanisms for nutrient adaptations by phytoplankton
• Mechanisms for nutrient adaptation by macrophytes
• Exam 2
• Osmotic variability in marine environments
• Mechanisms for osmotic adaptation to variable salinities
• Mechanisms for osmotic adaptation to dehydrating conditions
• Role of molecular investigations of adaptations
• Stress shock proteins
• Final Exam