Contributing to Scientific Understanding

This online course, guided by Prof. Emma, is designed to provide students with real-world scientific research experiences and skill development through various unconventional project types. Students can choose from activities like literature reviews, contributing to iNaturalist or Wikipedia, creating science communication blogs, or pursuing projects based on their interests. All participants will engage in nature journaling to practice observing and identifying local environmental patterns, and they will attend webinars that combine project discussions, new marine creature/ecosystem/phenomenon introductions, and group problem-solving sessions in a supportive environment. The course is open for repeated enrollment, with new topics each semester.

This course is best suited for students seeking hands-on scientific practice in less conventional ways, with guidance for independent projects. If students are ready for a full-fledged research project, the Marine Biological & Ecological Research Project course might be more fitting.