SPRING 2017

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE PRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE SPRING PROGRAM FOR UT UNDERGRADUATES THAT COMBINES COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH AT OUR FIELD STATION IN PORT ARNASAS WITH FINANCIAL HELP TO GET YOU THERE.

Don't wait to apply, we can only accept 20 students in residence!

 The following students have already been accepted for the spring 2017 SBS program:

• Lauren Constant (Biology/Marine & Freshwater Science) *
• Jenelle Estrada (Biology/MFS) *
• Heather Genuise (MFS) *
• Meta Hughes (Biology) *
• Julia Small (Bio option EEB) *
• Ka'ohinani Kawahigashi (Biology/MFS)*
• Clay McClure (MFS/Bio)*
• Francesca Caruso (MFS)*
• Spyder Julian (MFS)*
• Kaleb Ashton (EVS/BIO)*

* UT housing requested

To apply to the program, download, complete, and save the Semester by the Sea Application, and email it to Olivia Gonzalez This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  Administrative Associate.

Spring 2017 SbtS Application (pdf format)

Spring 2017 SbtS Application (docx format)

We plan to offer four 3-credit hour organized courses in Spring 2017 plus a field research course (MNS 148:1) that satisfies the field experience for the EVS degree.

• Each course satisfies a requirement in the Prescribed Work or Major Requirements for the EVS Biology degree (e.g. Climates and Oceans, Physiology, and Taxon-based).
• All courses would count toward the 21-hr requirement for students in the MFB degree option.

While taking our field courses, students accepted into the "Spring Semester by the Sea" program will also register for MNS 370 and:

• Identify a faculty research mentor.
• Develop an independent field-based research project.
• Work in a research lab.
• Build foundation for independent inquiry and research.

Students accepted into the program will receive:

• Up to $3,500 applied towards tuition or housing for spring 2017 semester.
• Housing opportunities on or near UTMSI campus in Port Aransas, Texas.
• Access to marine instrumentation and diverse small boat fleet at MSI for field research (requires Texas Parks and Wildlife Safe Boating course and field practical at MSI).
• Opportunity to compete for travel award for national or regional science meeting based on their semester-long research project.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Undergraduate Faculty Advisor 
Courses offered (Timelines are subject to change):

MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - MNS 354Q (unique 53775 Port Aransas / 53770 Austin)
Taught by Drs. Zhanfei Liu and Amber Hardison
MW 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Port Aransas video classroom
(The lecture will be video-conferenced to Austin in FNT 1.104A)
Weekend field trips to Port Aransas:
      February 17-19, 2017
      March 24-26, 2017       

Marine Environmental Science is a 3-credit course designed for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students. This course will focus on application of basic marine science principles to the environmental science issues we are currently facing in the ocean, such as hypoxia, sea level rise, or ocean acidification. We will approach these environmental issues from basic knowledge to realistic solutions at a society level. The experimental component is a major emphasis of this course and will be accomplished through a combination of field cruises, long term in situ measurements of environmental parameters, and laboratory and/or field experiments.

MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON DIVERSITY - MNS 357 (unique 53780)
PHYTOPLANKTON DIVERSITY - MNS 382 (53820)
Taught by Drs. Deana Erdner and Tracy Villareal
T 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (Lecture) in Port Aransas (ERC 3rd floor classroom)
T 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Lab) in Port Aransas (Teaching Lab)

This course will cover the taxonomy of the major phytoplankton groups, their physiology, and their role in marine ecosystems. Through a combination of field sampling, lectures, and practical laboratory exercises, you will investigate the composition and distribution of planktonic algae and how they respond to environmental change. You will be introduced to sampling regimes, identification techniques, counting methods, and a variety of modern analytical tools (flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, PAM fluorometry, microsens O2 sensor) used to study phytoplankton physiology. Major course topics include (broadly based):
•Evolution of major phytoplankton lineages, including endosymbiotic theory and endosymbiotic event(s)
•Identification of phytoplankton, including differences in cellular structure and physiology among phytoplankton groups
•Growth of phytoplankton, including photosynthesis, light responses, nutrient requirements
•Composition of phytoplankton communities: how they change and how they affect ecosystem function
•Global patterns of phytoplankton distribution, diversity, and function
•Role of phytoplankton in food webs
•Topical issues in phytoplankton ecology, such as harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, ocean acidification, climate change, polar systems
•Graduate students are expected to participate in one hour discussions section each week and perform additional/graduate level work as prescribed in the syllabus

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF THE SEA - MNS 367K (unique 53790 Port Aransas / 53785 Austin)
Taught by Dr. Tracy Villareal
MW 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. in Port Aransas ERC 3rd Floor classroom
(This lecture will be video-conferenced to Austin in FNT 1.104A)
 
Review of the history of ocean exploration including major oceanographic expeditions. Discussion of current topics in ocean exploration and exploitation of marine resources, the impact of resource exploitation on biological systems, and the development of marine policy. An oral presentation is required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geological Sciences 367K and Marine Science 367K may not both be counted.

TOPICS IN MARINE SCIENCE:  MARINE FISHERIES - MNS 353 (unique 53765 Port Aransas / 53760 Austin)
Taught by Dr. Brad Erisman
TTH 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in Port Aransas video classroom
(The lecture will be video-conferenced to Austin in FNT 1.104A)
Weekend field trips to Port Aransas:
      April 7-9, 2017
      April 21-23, 2017      

Marine Fisheries is an introductory course geared towards undergraduate students interested in marine science, fish ecology, and fisheries biology and management. This course is taught in Port Aransas and is offered over the video link.  The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of fisheries science by focusing on four main components:

•Fishes: the diversity and distribution of fished species, the basics of fish ecology (i.e., how they eat, grow, reproduce), and the factors that control variations in fish abundance and fisheries production.
•Fisheries: history of fisheries, the gears and techniques used in commercial and recreational fisheries, and the social and economic dimensions of fishing.
•Fisheries assessment: aspects of the behavior and life history of fishes that make them vulnerable or resilient to fishing and the data, methods, and technologies used to monitor and assess fish stocks and fisheries.
•Fisheries management: the effects of fishing on species and ecosystems and the strategies used to manage fisheries in the face of growing human populations and climate change.

This course will combine a series of lectures, hands-on fieldwork and lab work, written assignments, and group discussions. In lectures, you will learn fundamental concepts in fisheries ecology that will be reinforced by combinations of seminal work and the latest research. You will participate in several weekend field trips to learn a variety of methods for studying and surveying fishes in different coastal habitats. Field trips will be followed by lab work to process and analyze the samples and data collected, and a combination of group discussions and written assignments to synthesize the information, results, and techniques you learned during field trips and lab work.

TRAINING CRUISE: RESEARCH IN BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY - MNS 148 TOPIC 1 (unique 53750)
SPECIAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE - MNS 370 (unique 53800)
Taught by Dr. Bryan Black
F 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. in Port Aransas video classroom
Additional hours to be arranged

This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. The primary goal of this course is for students to develop the range of skills necessary for success in marine science research including: design and execution of a coordinated field/lab project; critical evaluation of scientific data; and development of effective oral and written communication techniques. The course serves as the interface for the student research experience in UTMSI faculty labs during Semester by the Sea via a professional scientific training curricula. Specific course activities include some field/lab work in addition to proposal writing, peer review, report writing, and oral communication practice in preparation for the Semester by the Sea Research Symposium.

*Independent Inquiry
**Writing component and Independent Inquiry

SPRING 2016

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE PRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE SPRING PROGRAM FOR UT UNDERGRADUATES THAT COMBINES COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH AT OUR FIELD STATION IN PORT ARNASAS WITH FINANCIAL HELP TO GET YOU THERE.

Don't wait to apply, we can only accept 20 students in residence!

The following students have already been accepted for the spring 2016 SBS program:

• Sarah Brown (MFS) *
• Jordan Grant (MFS) *
• Kylie Holt (MFS) *
• Patrick Lombeida (Biology/MFS) *
• Leighann Martin (MFS) *
• Julia Plotkin (MFS) *
• Lauren Rowsey (MFS) *
• Erin Shilling (EEB) *

* UT housing requested

APPLY TO THE PROGRAM

To apply to the program, download, complete, and save the Semester by the Sea Application, and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

Spring 2016 SbtS Application (pdf format) 

Spring 2016 SbtS Application (docx format)

We plan to offer four 3-credit hour organized courses in Spring 2016 plus a field research course (MNS 348:1) that satisfies the field experience for the EVS degree.

• At least one of these courses will count as a College writing component.
• Each course satisfies a requirement in the Prescribed Work or Major Requirements for the EVS Biology degree (e.g. Climates and Oceans, Physiology, and Taxon-based).
• All courses would count toward the 21-hr requirement for students in the MFB degree option.

While taking our field courses, students accepted into the "Spring Semester by the Sea" program will also register for MNS 170 and:

• Identify a faculty research mentor.
• Develop an independent field-based research project.
• Work in a research lab.
• Build foundation for independent inquiry and research.

Students accepted into the program will receive:

• Up to $3,500 applied towards tuition or housing for spring 2016 semester.
• Housing opportunities on or near UTMSI campus in Port Aransas, Texas.
• Access to marine instrumentation and diverse small boat fleet at MSI for field research (requires Texas Parks and Wildlife Safe Boating course and field practical at MSI).
• Opportunity to compete for travel award for national or regional science meeting based on their semester-long research project.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Undergraduate Faculty Advisor 

Courses offered (Timelines are subject to change):

• MNS 356 - Ecosystem Oceanography (Black/Shank)*
• MNS 354E - Aquatic Microbiology (Baker)
• MNS 355C - Physiology of Fishes (Esbaugh)
• MNS 354Q- Marine Environmental Science (Buskey/Fuiman)
• MNS 348:1 - Training Cruise: Research Biological Oceanography (Villareal/Liu)**
• MNS 170 - Special Studies in Marine Science*

*Independent Inquiry
**Writing component and Independent Inquiry

SPRING 2015

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, MARINE SCIENCE INSTITUTE PRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE SPRING PROGRAM FOR UT UNDERGRADUATES THAT COMBINES COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH AT OUR FIELD STATION IN PORT ARANSAS WITH FINANCIAL HELP TO GET YOU THERE.

Don't wait to apply, we can only accept 20 students!

The following students have already been accepted for the spring 2015 SBS program:

• Savannah Clapp (MFS) *
• Robert Gonzales (MFS) *
• Lauren Heymann (MFS-Plan II Honors Option) *
• Ava Ibanez (MFS) *
• Yihang Pan (Biology-Honors Option) *
• Stefanie Plunkett (EVS) *
• Mark Lopez (MFS) *
• Kathryn Thompson (MFS) *

* UT housing requested

Apply to the Program

To apply to the program, download and complete the Semester by the Sea Application, and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Undergraduate Program Coordinator.

Spring 2015 SBS Application (pdf format)

Spring 2015 SBS Application (docx format)

We plan to offer four 3-credit hour organized courses in Spring 2015 plus a field research course (MNS 348:1) that satisfies the field experience for the EVS degree.

• At least one of these courses will count as a College writing component.
• Each course satisifies a requirement in the Prescribed Work or Major Requirements for the EVS Biology degree (e.g. Climates and Oceans, Physiology, and Taxon-based).
• All courses would count toward the 21-hr requirement for students in the MFB degree option.

While taking our field courses, students accepted into the "Spring Semester by the Sea" program will also register for MNS 170 and:

• Identify a faculty research mentor.
• Develop an independent field-based research project.
• Work in a research lab.
• Build foundation for independent inquiry and research.

Students accepted into the program will receive:

• Up to $3,500 applied towards tuition or housing for spring 2015 semester.
• Housing opportunities on or near UTMSI campus in Port Aransas, Texas.
• Access to marine instrumentation and diverse small boat fleet at MSI for field research (requires Texas Parks and Wildlife Safe Boating course and field practical at MSI).
• Opportunity to compete for travel award for national or regional science meeting based on their semester-long research project.

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Undergraduate Faculty Advisor 

Below is the list of courses being offered (Timelines are subject to change):

MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - MNS 354Q (Unique 53565)
Taught by Drs. Peter Thomas and Zhanfei Liu
M 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. (The lecture will be offered over the video link (FNT 1.104) to Austin)
Lab hours to be arranged

Marine Environmental Science is a 3-credit course designed for upper-level undergraduate or graduate students. This course will focus on application of basic marine science principles to the environmental science issues we are currently facing in the ocean, such as hypoxia, sea level rise, or ocean acidification. We will approach these environmental issues from basic knowledge to realistic solutions at a society level. The experimental component is a major emphasis of this course and will be accomplished through a combination of field cruises, long term in situ measurements of environmental parameters, and laboratory and/or field experiments.

MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON DIVERSITY - MNS 357 (Unique 53570)
PHYTOPLANKTON DIVERSITYMNS 382 (unique 53610)
Taught by Dr. Deana Erdner
T 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. (Lecture)
Lab hours to be arranged
This course will be offered over the video link (FNT 1.104) in Austin.

This is an introductory level course that will cover the taxonomy of the major phytoplankton groups, their physiology, and their role in marine ecosystems. Through a combination of field sampling, lectures, and practical laboratory exercises, you will investigate the composition and distribution of planktonic algae and how they respond to environmental change. You will be introduced to sampling regimes, identification techniques, counting methods, and a variety of modern analytical tools (flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, PAM fluorometry, microsens O2 sensor) used to study phytoplankton physiology. Major course topics include (broadly based):

• Evolution of major phytoplankton lineages, including endosymbiotic theory and endosymbiotic event(s)
• Identification of phytoplankton, including differences in cellular structure and physiology among phytoplankton groups
• Growth of phytoplankton, including photosynthesis, light responses, nutrient requirements
• Composition of phytoplankton communities: how they change and how they affect ecosystem function
• Global patterns of phytoplankton distribution, diversity, and function
• Role of phytoplankton in food webs
• Topical issues in phytoplankton ecology, such as harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, ocean acidification, climate change, polar systems

HUMAN EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION OF THE SEA - MNS 367K (Unique 53575)
Taught by Dr. Tracy Villareal
MWF 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
ERC 3rd floor classroom
This course will be offered over video link (FNT 1.104) in Austin.

Review of the history of ocean exploration including major oceanographic expeditions. Discussion of current topics in ocean exploration and exploitation of marine resources, the impact of resource exploitation on biological systems, and the development of marine policy. An oral presentation is required. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Geological Sciences 367K and Marine Science 367K may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and Marine Science 307 with a grade of at least B-.

TOPICS IN MARINE SCIENCE:  MARINE FISHERIES - MNS 353 (Unique 53560)
Taught by Dr. Brad Erisman
F 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (The lecture will be offered over the video link (FNT 1.104) in Austin)
Weekend field trips to Port Aransas:
     March 6-8, 2015
     April 17-19, 2015
     May 1-3, 2015

Marine Fisheries is an introductory course geared towards undergraduate students interested in marine science, fish ecology, and fisheries biology and management. This course is taught in Port Aransas and is offered over the video link.  The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad understanding of fisheries science by focusing on four main components:

• Fishes: the diversity and distribution of fished species, the basics of fish ecology (i.e., how they eat, grow, reproduce), and the factors that control variations in fish abundance and fisheries production.
• Fisheries: history of fisheries, the gears and techniques used in commercial and recreational fisheries, and the social and economic dimensions of fishing.
• Fisheries assessment: aspects of the behavior and life history of fishes that make them vulnerable or resilient to fishing and the data, methods, and technologies used to monitor and assess fish stocks and fisheries.
• Fisheries management: the effects of fishing on species and ecosystems and the strategies used to manage fisheries in the face of growing human populations and climate change.

This course will combine a series of lectures, hands-on fieldwork and lab work, written assignments, and group discussions. In lectures, you will learn fundamental concepts in fisheries ecology that will be reinforced by combinations of seminal work and the latest research. You will participate in several weekend field trips to learn a variety of methods for studying and surveying fishes in different coastal habitats. Field trips will be followed by lab work to process and analyze the samples and data collected, and a combination of group discussions and written assignments to synthesize the information, results, and techniques you learned during field trips and lab work.

TRAINING CRUISE: RESEARCH IN BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY - MNS 348 TOPIC 1 / MNS 170 SPECIAL STUDIES IN MARINE SCIENCE (Uniques 53550 / 53580)
Taught by Drs. Bryan Black and G. Christopher Shank
F 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Additional hours to be arranged

This course is taught in Port Aransas and is NOT offered over the video link. Students must reside in Port Aransas. The primary goal of this course is for students to develop the range of skills necessary for success in marine science research including: design and execution of a coordinated field/lab project; critical evaluation of scientific data; and development of effective oral and written communication techniques. The course serves as the interface for the student research experience in UTMSI faculty labs during Semester by the Sea via a professional scientific training curricula. Specific course activities include some field/lab work in addition to proposal writing, peer review, report writing, and oral communication practice in preparation for the Semester by the Sea Research Symposium.