Course Description

The course is a “hands-on” overview of the diversity, natural history, theory, evolution, ecology, politics and conservation of biological invasions in aquatic environments with about 1/3 on local aquatic species and biology, and 2/3 on natural history, diversity, theory, ecology and management of aquatic nonindigenous species.

This course is for students of ecology, conservation, fisheries biology, water quality monitoring. Time on field trips plus field or literature or field research projects will be required. Undergraduate (421 students) emphasis is on lectures and lab exams and individual or group projects. Graduate student (521 students) emphasis will be on individual projects and participation in discussion papers.

All students will learn:
- the history of biological invasions in aquatic environments
- the identities, biology and ecology of local aquatic plants and animals
- the science of detecting, managing and controlling introduced species
- general ecological theory relating to biological invasions
- politics and legislation relative to introduced species

Critical thinking and scientific writing are major goals of the course (more details below).
There will be at least two one day trips to sloughs, marshes, ponds and estuaries of the Oregon coast and an overnight trip to the lower Columbia River and Willapa Bay.

Instructor: Dr. John Chapman

Dr. John Chapman (in the white hat) is an invertebrate taxonomist and biological invasion ecologist with major interests in the patterns and rates of biological invasions in aquatic systems and the ecological conditions in which they occur. Some of his research bears on how to distinguish introduced species, what new species are moving around the world, what Vikings ate, and what can happen with live seafood.