Biology: Marine Biology concentration

Type of degree: B.S.

Brief overview of program: Marine Biology Concentration A variety of faculty, facilities and courses are available for biology majors interested in a concentration in marine biology. Facilities include a museum collection of marine fishes and marine invertebrates; research laboratories in fish biology, fisheries science, phytoplankton ecology, zooplankton ecology, benthic invertebrate ecology, wetlands plants and marine microbiology; and a wet lab/aquarium room. Field collection and laboratory course trips to the Chesapeake Bay, coastal ocean areas, local estuaries, wetlands and salt marshes are supported by departmental field vehicles and boats, as well as by the Department of Oceanography's 55-foot research vessel, the R/V Fay Slover.

Website: Click here for program website

Description of Facilities: Research Facilities Blackwater Ecologic Preserve The Blackwater Ecologic Preserve borders the Blackwater River in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Included on this 319 acre property are unique plant communities and some of the rarest species in the state of Virginia. Most important is the longleaf pine community which is the northernmost community of this type in the United States. In addition to the longleaf communities, the preserve's amazing diversity includes pocosins, river bluff, cypress swamp, old field, and riverine habitat. Chesapeake Bay Program The Chesapeake Bay Program at Old Dominion University (ODU) collects data to support the objectives of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to restore the environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program, initiated in 1985, is a multipurpose program that includes long-term studies conducted by ODU. The objective is to characterize the present state of the Bay, determine long-term trends, and provide insights into ecological interactions. The program provides information necessary to measure effectiveness of point and non-point source programs in reducing nutrient input to the Bay and determine progress towards achievement of living resources and water quality habitat goals. Electron Microscopy Laboratory The Electron Microscopy Laboratory is equipped for transmission election microscopy (including X-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy/STEM and X-ray microanalysis) and scanning electron microscopy. Complete specimen preparation equipment and supplies are available for a wide variety of biological and nonbiological specimens. A well-equipped darkroom provides a complete environment for negative development and print or slide making. The laboratory director and laboratory specialist are available for consultation in experimental design and electron microscopic technique. The laboratory has extensive experience in processing many types of specimens for a variety of users at the university and from the community. Herbarium The ODU Herbarium provides a well curated collection of vascular plants and bryophytes for use in teaching, research, and public service. Major emphasis is placed on development of excellent representation of all taxa in the local flora (southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina), including the Dismal Swamp and the Blackwater Ecologic Preserve. Our herbarium represents the definitive collection of the regional flora, and is consulted by the Natural Heritage Program of the Commonwealth of Virginia. We also loan specimens to specialists in different parts of the country and the world. Due to our exchange program, the herbarium also has a good representation of genera of plants of the southeastern United States as well as representative orders on a worldwide basis. Specialized areas of interest include development of collections of both native and cultivated poisonous plants as well as strength in parasitic angiosperms. At present, the total number of mounted specimens is approximately 26,000. The teaching collection contains approximately 3,000 specimens. Phytoplankton Analysis Laboratory The Phytoplankton Analysis Laboratory (PAL) has been monitoring phytoplankton populations, algal blooms, and potential toxin producing species in Chesapeake Bay and several of its major tributaries since 1985. Since 1997, in a more extensive coverage of Virginia estuaries, phytoplankton water and sediment samples have been analyzed for Pfiesteria spp., Pfiesteria-like organisms (PLO), and other toxin producing algal species.

Program Faculty: http://sci.odu.edu/biology/directory/faculty.shtml

Program Point of Contact: Dr. Lytton John Musselman

Email: lmusselm@odu.edu