Field Techniques in Marine Biology

Abstract

Many methods and techniques can be used to teach the student how to use various marine and scientific apparati, but probably the best method is to have the student use the gear under practical field and laboratory experiences. Schools close to the beach have a better opportunity for studying the marine environment for obvious reasons. The type of field work and techniques employed by the students depend heavily upon the kind of environment that surrounds the immediate area of the school or how easily accessible it is. My intention is to illustrate how one type of technique can be used for various kinds of environments. Here at Jacksonville Beach, Florida, we have one of the few remaining natural sand dune areas in the state. Also, there are many estuaries, marshes, and maritime forests within class-time driving distance. Other ecosystems that can be found throughout Florida and other parts of the United States are; mangrove swamps, tidal flats, coral reefs, mud flats, and jetties. In order to teach my students field techniques in marine biology, I have divided the work into six different studies according to ecosystems: intertidal zone, upper beach, sand dunes, maritime forest, estuary and marsh. The objective of this type of study is twofold: to teach the student how to use various field gear and test equipment, and to have the student understand the important relationships between the factors (abiotic and biotic) of each ecosystem. Each ecosystem is studied separately and after all ecosystems have been studied they are grouped together on a Data Retrieval Chart for study of all the ecosystems' interrelationships. The students are divided into groups according to what they will be studying, and the groups are rotated for each study so that every student will have the opportunity to use all sampling gear and test equipment. Below is a chart explaining how the students may be divided into groups, and each group into its subgroups. Remember that this is only one way that it may be done! Different groups may be formed according to area, number of students, equipment and gear available. After all the students have been assigned to a group and understand what equipment they will be using, it may be necessary to explain how to use some of the equipment such as plankton net, salinity kit, etc. Also, more than one class period may be necessary in order to complete the study of a particular ecosystem. If so, that's quite all-right. When the plankton net is used, it