Teaching Holistic Biology: Monterey Bay and the Sea of Cortez is the title of Gilly’s new course. At the core of Holistic Biology lies the concept of understanding natural systems as functional wholes, rather than as the sum of parts. To do this we need to discover and examine the generally hidden connections that hold all complex systems together. Ecology provides an exceptionally rich set of problems that merit holistic consideration, and the course explores the ecology as well as social and literary histories of Monterey Bay and Baja California to lead students of all levels and backgrounds to a new level of understanding. Holistic thinking peers through the porous nature of traditional academic disciplines and in doing so creates a new approach to interdisciplinary learning. Subjects that traditionally fall into different disciplines are combined in new ways. For example, a night’s reading on fluctuations of sardine populations may include a scientific paper on climate change, a section from a Steinbeck novel, and poems by Robinson Jeffers. All of these resources are brought together to explore common issues and themes that are important in all of our lives as citizens of Earth. Holistic Biology was first offered in 2005 as a lecture course at Hopkins and was expanded in 2006 to include a month-long field component in Mexico. Plans for 2008 are now being finalized. Half of the course is spent in the field in Baja California Sur where we undertake extensive field studies focused on three areas. First, we will visit some of the collecting sites that Ed Ricketts and John Steinbeck visited in their 1940 trip. Instead of collecting, we carry out quantitative transects of intertidal invertebrates as a means of following ecological change in this remote region. This effort directly builds on the foundation we laid in our 2004 expedition. Second, we will explore a new study area on a remote, protected island, where we will survey subtidal fishes by snorkeling as well as cataloging intertidal invertebrates. These efforts will allow us to assess the potential for adding this site to our long-term monitoring plans. Third, with an ultimate focus on the effects of agricultural runoff on the Sea of Cortez , we will carry out ship-based studies of oceanographic and biological factors in the open sea in relation to phytoplankton blooms and the dynamics of ecosystem responses. The course is given every other year during Spring Quarter, alternating with Barbara Block’s Stanford@SEA program. For 2008 we have a target class size of 10 students plus 3-4 Mexican students and scientists during field operations in Baja. Check the course website for more details (http://holisticbiology.stanford.edu), including individual research projects of students in 2006. see The Ricketts-Steinbeck Journey to learn about the inspiration for the Holistic Biology course Courses not offered a this time: BIOHOPK 184H Biological Holism. The work and writings of Ed Ricketts and John Steinbeck, and their view of holism in relation to contemporary thought. Their 1940 expedition to the Sea of Cortez . Field trips based on Ricketts’ Between Pacific Tides. Animal behavior studies in the lab. 5 units. BIOHOPK 167H/267H Nerve, Muscle, and Synapse. Fundamental aspects of membrane excitability and conduction, synaptic transmission, and excitation-contraction coupling. Emphasis is on biophysical, molecular, and cellular level analyses of these processes in vertebrate and invertebrate systems. Labs on intra- and extracellular recording and patch clamp techniques. Lectures, discussions, and labs. Prerequisites: PHYSICS 23, 28, 43, or equivalent; CHEM 31, 135; calculus; or consent of instructor. 5 units. BIOHOPK 176H Experimental Neurobiology. Lab, emphasizing methods in the neurosciences, including electrophysiological, biochemical, molecular, behavioral, and histological techniques. Students work on individual original research projects under guidance of the faculty. Prerequisites: strong interest in neurobiology and previous relevant course work or consent of instructor. 12 units. All courses taught through Stanford University at the Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, CA http://www-marine.stanford.edu/courses/biohopk184.htmhttp://holisticbiology.stanford.eduhttp://www-marine.stanford.edu/courses/biohopk167.htmhttp://holisticbiology.stanford.edu/shapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2
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