This course has two main objectives: 1) to illustrate the diverse uses of natural history collections for research, teaching and conservation, and 2) to introduce students to the fine art of avian specimen preparation. Students will learn multiple specimen preparation techniques (skeletons, spread wings, and round skins) and will be required to prepare 20 round skins to receive course credit. Students will be evaluated on the quality of their specimens and on their participation in an in-class debate surrounding the value of natural history collections.

Full details for BIOEE 1150 - Techniques of Avian Specimen Preparation

This class relies more on intuitive reasoning rather than complicated mathematical formulas to convey basic concepts about how the ocean works. For this reason, the class is very accessible to non-science majors. The class covers standard material about how the ocean works, but also includes current environmental threats facing the ocean such as global warming, ocean acidification, overfishing and coastal pollution. Students will gain a depth of knowledge about the ocean and global warming to enable them to speak and write confidently about contemporary public issues regarding the health of the ocean, global warming and a sustainable future. This course satisfies the Physical and Biological Sciences (PBS) requirement for students in most colleges. For students in A&S and CALS, this course counts as in-college credit.

Full details for BIOEE 1540 - Introductory Oceanography

This class relies more on intuitive reasoning rather than complicated mathematical formulas to convey basic concepts about how the ocean works. For this reason, the class is very accessible to non-science majors. The class covers standard material about how the ocean works, but also includes current environmental threats facing the ocean such as global warming, ocean acidification, overfishing and coastal pollution. Students will gain a depth of knowledge about the ocean and global warming to enable them to speak and write confidently about contemporary public issues regarding the health of the ocean, global warming and a sustainable future. This course satisfies the Physical and Biological Sciences (PBS) requirement for students in most colleges and the Introductory Life Sciences/Biological Sciences requirement for students in CALS. For students in A&S and CALS, this course counts as in-college credit. This course is suitable for non-life sciences majors.

Full details for BIOEE 1560 - Introductory Oceanography with Laboratory

This course provides an introduction to ecology, covering interactions between organisms and the environment at scales of populations, communities, and ecosystems. Ecological principles are used to explore the theory and applications of major issues facing humanity in the 21st century, including population dynamics, disease ecology, biodiversity and invasive species, global change, and other topics of environmental sustainability.

Full details for BIOEE 1610 - Introductory Biology: Ecology and the Environment

Considers explanations for pattern of diversity and the apparent good fit of organisms to the environment. Topics include the diversity of life, the genetics and developmental basis of evolutionary change, processes at the population level, evolution by natural selection, modes of speciation, long-term trends in evolution, origin of humans.

Full details for BIOEE 1780 - An Introduction to Evolutionary Biology and Diversity

This on-campus and international field course combination provides participating students with a broad introduction to the research process in field ecology, with literature and hands-on examples drawn from the fauna and flora of coastal Patagonia (Argentina), an area that provides us with unprecedented access to both marine and terrestrial wildlife as well as exposure to conservation challenges and success stories. The course begins in the latter part of the Fall semester (BIOEE 2525) when it meets twice weekly for seven weeks, largely to discuss relevant papers from the scientific literature with an emphasis on best practices in designing field studies to address questions in Neotropical ecology, behavioral ecology, conservation, and evolutionary biology. During the 2+ week field component in January (BIOEE 2526), students travel among field sites in Patagonia and put this knowledge to work in an experiential context by designing and implementing a series of research projects, including numerous short 'blitz' projects and several longer, more intensive independent projects; many of these field studies involve close-hand observations of marine mammals, penguins, or other seabirds. The course (BIOEE 2527) is focused on building skills in data analysis and scientific writing, based on the data collected in the field by each student.

Full details for BIOEE 2525 - Ecology and Conservation of Wildlife in the Neotropics

A surprisingly diverse, beautiful, and intriguing set of species live in our backyard. This class will meet outdoors for 4 hours per week, rain or shine, with extensive walking in natural areas (forests, fields, streams, agricultural lands). Field lectures will be on the specific plants and animals we encounter, discussing their ecology and exploring the evolutionary relationships between species. The class is hands-on, students can expect to get dirty and must be comfortable in the field. Connections will be drawn between theory learned in the classroom and real world biology and biodiversity out of doors. We will experience habitats and species, take notes, and write about biodiversity. Discussions and assignments will support oral and written communication about how to study biodiversity.

Full details for BIOEE 3233 - Advanced Field Lectures in Biodiversity

This course provides an in-depth survey of ecology emphasizing conceptual foundations and the integration of experimental and quantitative approaches, including physiological ecology, population and community ecology, ecosystem biology, and ecological modeling. Current and classical ecological research is used to introduce major concepts and methods, derive major ecological principles, and critically discuss their applicability on multiple organizational levels, on multiple scales, and in a variety of ecosystems. Lab sections focus on discussion, experimental techniques, and computational skills.

Full details for BIOEE 3610 - Advanced Ecology

Introduction to the biology, natural history, and evolution of the major invertebrate phyla, concentrating on marine representatives. In addition to the evolution of form and function, lectures cover aspects of ecology, behavior, physiology, chemical ecology, and current research. The discussion section will focus on current research papers with marine invertebrates.

Full details for BIOEE 3730 - Biodiversity and Biology of the Marine Invertebrates

BIOEE3731 provides an immersive experience working in a research laboratory focused on understanding the evolution of biodiversity in marine invertebrates. Participants will perform experiments to investigate the relationships between DNA sequence diversity, cell and tissue morphology, and animal evolution. Students will learn several specialized research techniques including fluorescent microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9), microinjection, and immunohistochemistry. Experiments will be conducted in the Babonis Lab (E142 Corson Hall), and learning will be assessed by completion of a semester-long research project. Because of the intensive hands-on nature of the course, only a small group of students will be accepted. Acceptance is by interview only.

Full details for BIOEE 3731 - Methods in Marine Invertebrate Biodiversity

Limnology is the study of inland freshwaters, which includes lakes, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, streams, and wetlands. This course focuses on lakes and ponds, and examines their physical, chemical, and biological properties. A lake's physical (e.g., size, light, temperature, mixing) and chemical (elements and compounds) structure directly affects aquatic organisms in terms of species abundance, diversity, and interactions. Organisms in turn influence their physical and chemical environment. This class will introduce students to fundamental concepts in limnology, which we will build upon to examine real-world challenges facing freshwater ecosystems (e.g., eutrophication, invasive species, climate change).

Full details for BIOEE 4570 - Limnology: Ecology of Lakes, Lectures

Laboratories and field trips devoted to studies of the biological, chemical, and physical properties of lakes and other freshwater environments. Exercises focus on understanding the freshwater environment, on experimentation, and on understanding ecological processes within lakes.

Full details for BIOEE 4571 - Limnology: Ecology of Lakes, Laboratory

This course develops quantitative and programming skills essential for designing, analyzing, and communicating ecological and evolutionary research. Emphasis is placed on sampling design, hypothesis formulation, statistical inference, and data analysis as an integrated process rather than separate steps. Students will learn to translate biological questions into testable predictions, evaluate them with data, and interpret results critically. Instruction focuses on conceptual understanding and informed choice of methods, preparing students for independent learning of advanced techniques. Data analysis is conducted in R. Case studies draw from contemporary ecological and evolutionary research. The course is tailored for students pursuing an Honors thesis, and the in-class project allows students to analyze data directly related to their Honors research. Grades are based on written assignments, final projects, and in-class participation.

Full details for BIOEE 4610 - Ecological and Evolutionary Statistics

Birds present a wondrous diversity of behaviors, ecological lifestyles, and appearances. This course provides an in-depth survey of the natural history and evolutionary relationships of all Orders and Families of living birds from across the globe. Cornell is the home of the Birds of the World online resource which provides background information on worldwide avian diversity, and BIOEE 4752 also makes extensive use of the avian specimen materials of the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, where the weekly lab sessions are held.

Full details for BIOEE 4752 - Ornithology, Worldwide Avian Diversity Laboratory

Introduction to the systematic study of fossil and living fishes: their anatomy, physiology and functional morphology, behavior, ecology, diversity, evolution, classification, and identification. Emphasizes marine fishes from different habitats (temperate, tropical coral reef, intertidal, and deep sea), local freshwater species, and interesting freshwater fishes from around the world, especially South America, Africa and Australia.

Full details for BIOEE 4760 - Ichthyology: Biology of Fishes, Lectures

Laboratory course covering topics presented in BIOEE 4760. Two field trips, including one full-day weekend trip required. Live animals are studied in the field and are sometimes used in the laboratory for nondestructive demonstrations or experiments. The systematics and dissection laboratories use preserved specimens.

Full details for BIOEE 4761 - Ichthyology: Biology of Fishes, Laboratory

Designed to give qualified undergraduate students teaching experience through actual involvement in planning and assisting in biology courses. This experience may include supervised participation in a discussion group, assisting in a biology laboratory, assisting in field biology, or tutoring.

Full details for BIOEE 4980 - Teaching Experience

Graduate-level discussion of the ecology, epidemiology, genetics, and evolution of infectious disease in animal and plant systems. Weekly discussion of research papers published in the primary scientific literature. Participation in discussion and presentation of at least one paper required for course credit.

Full details for BIOEE 6900 - Seminar in Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases

This course is a discussion of current topics in limnology. Students will have the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their research in limnology. Topics include (but are not limited to) biogeochemistry, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, microbial ecology, and population ecology in inland freshwaters.

Full details for BIOEE 7500 - Limnology Seminar

Lectures and intensive study of special topics in the field of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Content varies each semester.

Full details for BIOEE 7600 - Special Topics in Evolution and Ecology

Group intensive study of current research in plant-insect interactions. Topics vary from semester to semester but include chemical defense, coevolution, insect community structure, population regulation, biocontrol, tritrophic interactions, and mutualism.

Full details for BIOEE 7640 - Plant-Insect Interactions Seminar

Critical evaluation and discussion of theory and research in ecology and evolutionary biology. Lectures by faculty and student-led discussions of topics in areas of current importance.

Full details for BIOEE 7670 - Current Topics in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Dissertation research conducted by a Ph.D. student in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology with advice and consultation of a major professor who is a member of the field.

Full details for BIOEE 9990 - Ph.D. Dissertation Research