MSCI 577 - Biomechanics of Marine Organisms

Fall, even years 3 Patterson.

This course introduces principles from the physical sciences (fluid and solid mechanics, mass and heat transfer theory) applied to the analysis of form, function, ecology, and evolution of marine organisms. Topics covered include suspension and deposit feeding in invertebrates, allometry of metabolic processes, locomotion of fishes and plankton, thermal transactions in intertidal organisms, the biology of the benthic boundary layer, and the properties of biomaterials and biological structures. Engineering methods and measurement techniques applicable to biomechanical investigations will be presented.