Teaching

Interested in aquatic ecology, hands-on learning, and field work in Alaska? This might be the course you’ve been waiting for!

Background

The University of Washington and the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences in particular are interested in closely connecting undergraduate teaching and research. As one step towards this goal, in 1999, the school started offering a course in aquatic ecology at its field stations in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Goals

The goals of the course are to provide a small number of students with direct, hands-on training in the theories and techniques of research in aquatic ecology. We will make use of the well-equipped field camps and diverse aquatic environments to give students formal course material (i.e., lectures and instruction manuals) and practical experience in the planning, design, and completion of research projects.

Course Structure

All students will enroll for 9 credits (graded) of FISH 499 in summer quarter and will jointly participate in field and laboratory research at lakes Aleknagik and Iliamna. The course will run for 6 weeks (17 July to 29 August). During that time, students will receive instruction in limnology, juvenile fish ecology, spawning behavior and life history of adult salmon, population dynamics, and fishery management. Students will have access to the long-term datasets collected at the camps and will write papers on limnology, fish behavior, and population dynamics. In addition, students will enroll for 3 credits of independent study or senior project in fall quarter (credit/no credit) to complete projects initiated during the summer. The School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences will waive the required courses in techniques and ecology (FISH 210 and 312), and the 9 credits will count towards the required number of electives for a degree.

Instructors

The primary instructor will be Dr. Thomas Quinn (School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences), and the co-instructors will be Dr. Daniel Schindler (Department of Zoology) and Dr. Ray Hilborn (School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences). There will also be a teaching assistant to help students with the field work and their independent projects.

Logistics

Students will fly from Seattle to Aleknagik on 17 July and will return from Iliamna on 29 August. Travel to Alaska, food, and expenses will be provided, and students will live in cabins at the research sites. There may also be opportunities for employment with the School's Alaska Salmon Program before or after the course.

Registration

Students interested in this class will have an opportunity to learn more about it at an information meeting to be held in the second week of Spring Quarter. Prior to that time, students may express their interest in the class to Lin Murdock, Student Services Office, School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences (linm@u.washington.edu), and direct inquiries to Dr. Thomas Quinn (tquinn@u.washington.edu).