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There is no better way to find out about ecosystems than to interact with the scientists actively carrying out research; there is no better way to find out about research than to actually do it. The SES program emphasizes learning by doing -- students spend over 20 hours each week in the lab and field investigating forests, ponds and estuaries on Cape Cod. Virtually all ecosystems have been impacted by human activity, and so this is also a curriculum about how human-caused changes in the environment are affecting the globe. Core Courses The core course
lectures cover both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems from
the point of view of biogeochemistry and important
ecological processes. In the field and laboratory we will
start out in the first eight weeks of the core courses with
an intensive study focused mainly on local ecosystems --
ponds and estuaries within the Waquoit Bay watershed
adjacent to Vineyard Sound, West Falmouth Harbor on Buzzards
Bay, and the town forest at the municipal sewage treatment
plant. Parts of the forest are sprayed with effluent from
the plant, and so provide us with a large scale
"experimental" manipulation of inputs of nutrients and water
to a terrestrial ecosystem. |
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In addition to the Core Courses, SES students take one elective which meets twice a week. The elective is intended to deepen understanding in a specific sub-discipline of ecosystems science. Projects The structured laboratory experiences and techniques of the core courses and electives set the stage for the most rewarding part of the SES program, the projects. During the last five weeks of the course, students will be able to devote full time to a project of their choosing. While the structure of a project is very flexible, we do ask that student work in teams with collaborators that they select. An ideal model for an independent project would be, for example, a collaborative study of the effect of fire on an ecosystem that included independent but complimentary work on soil chemistry, trees, and microbes. Distinguished Scientist Seminar Series A number of distinguished scientists are invited to give lectures and meet with SES students each year. It is an opportunity for students to hear from some of the country's top practitioners and to find out about their research and current concerns. During the visit of each of these scientists, the SES students are able to question them closely about everything from basic science to environmental problems to the availability of graduate programs. Science Writing Seminar SES students all take part in a seminar that introduces the art of science writing. This is taught by our writer-in-residence and several professional science journalists with the goal of illustrating how the results of scientific investigations can be transmitted to the larger reading audience in ways that catch their interest and educate. Students will write a profile of one of the distinguished scientists based on an interview. With this and other programs at the Marine Biological Laboratory, we hope to begin training a new generation of writers conversant in science who can communicate about critical environmental issues with the public. |
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Kenneth H.
Foreman |
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The
Semester in Environmental Science is a 15-week program
offered each fall semester that is devoted to the study of
ecological systems. It is open to students enrolled at
colleges participating in the MBL Consortium in
Environmental Science. 
These
ecosystems provide us with superb natural classrooms in
which to learn the basic principles and techniques of
ecosystems science. Each of the field and lab exercises in
the core courses build upon one another. We start by
measuring the biomass of primary producers in both the
forest and water, then spend weeks 2-3 estimating the rates
of primary production. Weeks 4-6 are devoted to examining
the fates of organic matter produced by plants and algae.
During week 4, students study the trophic structure –
abundance and distribution of secondary producers as well as
primary producers – in Waquoit Bay and Johns Pond,
collecting samples for later analysis of food web structure.
During weeks 5-6 students examine the rates of
mineralization and respiration in both soils and sediments
providing a basic introduction to nutrient cycling and
stoichiometry of ecosystems. During weeks 7-8, students make
additional measurements of the flows of nutrients and water
through ecosystems to construct nitrogen and water budgets
for these ecosystems. An important aspect of these labs is
their interconnectedness. Data and information collected
during each lab will be needed to further develop an
understanding of the ecosystems.
Electives