Study Marine Biology at CSUN


The Department of Biology offers a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree with Marine Biology as one of its options. Beyond the Biology core course program, students in the Marine Biology Option select from a variety of field and laboratory-oriented courses designed to involve students with organism classification, data collection, analysis, and interpretation with a diversity of taxa in different marine environments.


Tidepooling students

The CSUN Marine Biology Program emphasizes ecological approaches, and hands-on field and laboratory experiences. Field trips are an integral part of all marine courses and regularly include trips aboard the university's research vessel to the California Channel Islands, and excursions to the southern and central California coast.

 

Intertidal at Catalina Is.

 

The Marine Biology Program takes full advantage of CSUN's proximity to a diversity of nearshore, warm-temperate, marine environments located on the southern California coast, within a short driving distance from campus, including rocky intertidal, sand and mudflat communities, and kelp forest habitats.

Intertidal with students

Field Biology Semesters are a highlight of the biology program and include a Marine Biology Semester conducted at Catalina Island off the coast of Southern California. Classes include Marine Biology, Marine Invertebrate Zoology, Marine Phycology, Ecology of Marine Fishes, Marine Biological Processes and opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student independent research.

 

The graduate program offers a Master of Science in Biology degree that is individually tailored to each students' research interests. The Marine Biology graduate program is particularly strong in preparing students for advanced academic careers, private sector and governmental agency jobs. Many graduate students publish their thesis research in leading peer-reviewed journals. Interested students should contact a faculty member within their area of interest.


Marine Biology Research at CSUN


Boats in Moorea

Research topics in the Marine Biology group cover a broad spectrum including ecology of marine benthic communities; population ecology and life histories of colonial organisms; biological processes in community development; physiological ecology of tropical reef corals; population ecology of tropical and temperate reef fishes; community ecology of California coastal marine fishes; and population dynamics of fisheries species. For more information on research in Marine Biology at CSUN, please view individual faculty member's pages.


Dudgeon