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Course Outline
The University of Queensland boasts the
largest collection of marine neurobiologists in Australia, with
most focusing on animals endemic to the Great Barrier Reef.
This course will explore both the central and peripheral nervous
systems of a range of aquatic animals (invertebrates, cartilaginous
fishes, bony fishes and marine mammals) in the context of the neural
bases of behaviour.
Sensory, motor and integrative parts of the central nervous system
will be examined to challenge students about how animals communicate,
navigate, orient themselves in the water column and how they find
food and avoid predation. The physical characteristics of the environment
and the neurobiological constraints placed on behaviour will also
be investigated, drawing upon examples from both shallow water and
the deep-sea.
Emphasis will be placed on sensory ecology or the way in which animals
see, smell, feel, hear, taste and electrically and magnetically
sense their aquatic environment. Sensory systems of specific models
will be explored as an integrated whole and examined using the latest
morphological, physiological and molecular techniques.
Course Objectives
The goals of the course include an introduction
to:
- The physical environment in which
marine animals live
- The central and peripheral nervous systems
of a range of marine vertebrates and invertebrates
- The currently-known senses (vision, audition,
chemoreception, electroreception, magnetoreception and mechanoreception)
- The neural basis of behaviour, adaptation
and plasticity
- Complex behaviours
- Morphological, physiological and molecular
techniques currently used to explore neural processing
- Hypothesis-driven research (as individuals
and in groups)
- Scientific communication.
Course Experience
A combination of lectures, tutorials, field
and laboratory-based projects will provide a cohesive introduction
to marine neurobiology and behaviour with emphasis on addressing
problem-based tasks in the context of the physical environment in
which marine animals live.
Students will receive an introduction to the nervous systems of
marine animals with emphasis on sensory ecology and behaviour. Sensory
processing, adaptation and plasticity will also be explored in the
context of evolution and development.
Group projects will focus on research and discovery, designed to
test hypotheses developed during lectures. Students will gain valuable
experience in a range of ?state-of-the-art' techniques in neurobiology
and be able to apply these to marine models.
Collaboration
The Course is taught by internationally recognised
experts in neurobiology, sensory ecology and behaviour. A unique
collaboration between the Centre for Marine Studies, the School
of Biomedical Sciences and the Queensland Brain Institute enables
students to tap into an international panel of research scientists
in an unmatched marine environment.
Course Assessment
Course assessment consists of a group presentation, 2 lab reports and exam.
Assessment Criteria
Course Pre-requisite
Completion of a course in marine biology/zoology
is required, but the course assumes no background in neurobiology. |
Marine Neurobiology
