This introductory course for the marine biology major will acquaint the student with basic principles of marine biology and function as a complementary course to Oceanography/Lab (MBIO 2500). The course will touch upon basic aspects of physical, chemical, and geological oceanography, and then focus upon marine communities found in the open ocean, deep sea, coastal shelf and inter tidal regions. Species diversity, phylogenetic relationships, organisms function, symbiotic relationships, and ecological interactions will be examined.