Marine Biology

Overview

An Area of Concentration (AOC) in Marine Biology allows students to build a strong foundation in basic biological concepts, with an emphasis on marine organisms and ecosystems. This program of study is designed to prepare students for graduate or professional studies in marine biology, biological oceanography, or related subjects, as well as for professional careers in marine or environmental fields.

New College is situated on Sarasota Bay and our students have the opportunity to study and conduct research at the Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center, located on our Bayfront Campus. The Center is home to more than 100 aquaria, anchored by a 15,000-gallon research and display tank. Each tank in the Living Ecosystem Teaching and Research Aquarium features different captive ecosystems, including a cold-water rocky shore and Sarasota Bay grass flats. Through a natural filtration system designed by students, the Center draws and recycles water from Sarasota Bay.

A marine science research and sailing dock was completed in spring of 2022, which serves the Marine Biology program’s 32-foot pontoon research boat, Limbatus; a smaller research skiff; and a rigid inflatable rescue vessel.

Faculty in Marine Biology

Erika Diaz Almeyda, Assistant Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies (On Leave)
Jayne M. Gardiner, Associate Professor of Biology (On Leave)
Sandra Gilchrist, Professor of Biology and Marine Science/Natural Sciences Division Chair
Athena Rycyk, Associate Professor of Biology and Marine Science
Gerardo Toro-Farmer, Associate Professor of Coastal and Marine Science

Requirements for the AOC in Marine Biology 

A minimum of twenty-five (25) academic units.

¹

May be taken in any order.

²

A member of the Marine Biology faculty must serve as the thesis sponsor, and one other Biology or Marine Biology faculty member must also be a member of the student’s thesis/baccalaureate exam committee.

Click here for a Marine Biology Checklist.

Requirements for the Joint AOC in Marine Biology

A minimum of eight (8) academic units.

¹

May be taken in any order.

²

See intermediate lecture and laboratory courses listed under Marine Biology AOC requirements.

³

At least one member of the Marine Biology faculty must be a member of the student’s thesis and baccalaureate exam committee.

Marine Biology Facilities

The Jack and Rhoda Pritzker Marine Biology Research Center (PMBRC) provides aquaria and holding facilities for marine organisms, laboratories, and tools that facilitate scientific experimentation. Seawater is pumped from Sarasota Bay, then preconditioned and treated prior to entering research aquaria. The Living Ecosystem Teaching and Research Aquarium includes five medium-sized aquaria, one large aquarium, and a single shallow tank. Each aquarium features a different captive ecosystem. Included are bay shore and local water ecosystems, and a diversity of near shore systems from non-local tropical to temperate regions. Cameras have been installed in the large aquarium and the medium live coral aquarium and send images to a streaming video server. This allows sharing of data on the web and permits detailed analysis of animal behavior in the tanks. Another camera in the invertebrate tank will be equipped with infrared capabilities for observations in near dark conditions, for expanded research opportunities. Faculty research laboratories, student research laboratories, and ground level tanks provide holding and culture facilities for maintaining organisms (both fish and marine invertebrates) for research and research education. The PMBRC's classroom contains a "wet" section with holding tanks and shallow sea tables. The sea tables are well suited to handling and observing small marine organisms. We have recently acquired a new stereomicroscope with pixel shift technology to produce high-resolution images.

A marine science research and sailing dock was completed in spring of 2022. The L-shaped dock is six feet wide and extends 294 feet west from the shore of the Caples campus and then 144 feet to the southwest, and the site was selected for its environmental compatibility and proximity to deep water. The dock was constructed with environmentally-friendly materials: Surestep PVC open deck grating, designed for maximum sunlight penetration to underwater aquatic life; and high-density polyethylene piling wraps that protect the water from any chemicals in the treated wood pilings.

The dock currently serves the marine biology program’s 32-foot pontoon research boat, Limbatus; a smaller research skiff; and a rigid inflatable rescue vessel. The dock bolsters New College’s strong and popular programs in marine biology and environmental studies, as well as its summer marine biology education programs for teens in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Representative Senior Theses in Marine Biology

• Effects of Glyphosate on the Odor Detection Behavior of Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)
• Sarasota Bay: a Newly-defined Nursery Area for Blacktip Sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) on the Gulf Coast of Florida
• The Effects of Fish Waste Nutrient Enrichment on Thalassia testudinum Banks ex König in Sarasota Bay, Florida
• Mosquito Control to Kayak Trails: the Effects of Mangrove Ditches on the Sarasota Bay Region
• The Distribution of Cyphoma gibbosum (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cypraeoidea: Ovulidae) (the Flaming Tongue Gastropod) in Relation to the Presence of the Fungal Disease Aspergillosis on Gorgonia spp. (Anthozoa: Cnidaria: Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae)
• Visually Mediated Behaviors of the Mantis Shrimp, Pseudosquilla cilliata (Fabricius, 1787) (Crustacea; Stomatopoda; Pseudosquillidae)
• Population Connectivity of Acropora palmata on Cayos Cochinos, Honduras
• The phenology of humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae), blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus), sperm (Physeter macrocephalus), and killer whales (Orcinus orca) determined by passive acoustic monitoring near Barkley Canyon.