Do Science!​

Science is a process, and the best way to understand a process is to go through it.  So, to learn science, do science, and to teach science, do science!  Embracing this philosophy, my courses are grounded in  active, experiential learning.

Courses at UConn

Experimental Design in Marine Ecology - with R
MARN 4210Q/5210
This course introduces students to a variety of experimental designs and their corresponding analyses with a focus on effectively applying these methods in marine biology and ecology.  Students learn to organize, analyze, and visualize data using R.  Assignments emphasize interpretation and verbal communication of experimental methods and results. 4 credits.
​Register for Spring 2025!

Advanced Biological Oceanography - Benthic Processes
MARN 6011
This course covers classic and contemporary concepts in benthic marine ecology through active discussion of key papers from the primary literature.  Papers and discussions emphasize benthic processes, the patterns they generate, and underlying mechanisms. 
​

Marine Biology 
MARN 3014/ EEB 3230
Marine Biology provides undergraduates with foundational knowledge of the chemical, physical, and biological processes that govern life in the ocean and how organisms function in marine environments.  Field trips and laboratory sessions allow students to observe marine organisms and conduct their own research projects. 

Special Topics: Readings in Marine Macroecology
MARN 5995
This 1-credit special topics course is loosely based on Witman and Roy's Marine Macroecology. We will meet once per week for critical and lively discussion of papers from the primary literature. Topics include latitudinal gradients in biodiversity, oceanographic and biological drivers of dispersal and population connectivity, species interactions, eco-evo feedbacks, and more. We'll draw from a buffet of study systems and research approaches.
​Next offerings: TBD

All photographs and content copyright Catherine Matassa 2023.