Freshwater Ecology

Winter Quarter 2003

A few thoughts on the subject of independent research projects:

• Two-credit independent research projects will be presented to the class, in either poster or powerpoint format, in the end of week eight (Thursday, February 27th, to be precise). Week seven is set aside for you to devote to these projects, but they should be well underway before then.
• These projects will be on a topic of your choosing, which should be of some relevance to freshwater ecology. Given the season, most of you will likely do entirely library-based projects--after posing a particular question, you will conduct a review of the primary scientific literature in order to answer that question. For those of you who really want to do field work, you certainly may, but realize that you will likely get cold and wet, and that winter is a time of limited biological activity, and decreased fluctuations in many abiotic systems as well.
• Project ideas (in the form of a paragraph or two) are due in class on Tuesday of week 2 (January 14).