Aloha all, I am pleased announce that I will be offering the following three classes this summer at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. The labs for each class involve research-based, hands-on techniques as the students participate in research studies focused upon each group of marine animals. Please forward to any of your students who might be interested: *MARE 390 - Biology of Marine Mammals/Lab* *MARE 380 - Natural History of Sharks and Rays/Lab* *MARE 490 - Sea Turtle Conservation & Ecology/Lab* *Dates: June 20 - July 29, 2016* *MARE 390, Biology of Marine Mammals, 3 credits - Dr. Jason Turner* Comprehensive investigation of a diverse group of highly adapted marine vertebrates. Whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, walruses, manatees, dugongs, sea otters and polar bears will be covered. Focus will be on taxonomy, anatomy and physiology, behavior, reproductive ecology, adaptations to the marine environment, and conservation and management. Pre: instructor's consent. *MARE 390L, Biology of Marine Mammals Laboratory, 1 credit - Dr. Jason Turner* Field and lab techniques employed by professional marine mammal biologists including shore and boat-based surveys, photo-identification, and acoustic sampling. Investigations will focus on local species of marine mammals. Pre: MARE 390 or concurrent enrollment. $250 lab fee payable upon registration. *MARE 380, Natural History of Sharks and Rays, 3 credits - Dr. Jason Turner* This course will examine the natural history of the Elasmobranchs, an ancient group of fishes that have existed for almost 450 million years. Comprehensive investigations of sharks, rays, skates, sawfishes, and chimera along with representative species from Hawai`i will be conducted. Subjects will include evolution, taxonomy, anatomy, physiology, ecology, conservation and management of these unique animals. Discussions of current research papers along with group research projects will be covered during lectures. Pre: Concurrent enrollment in MARE 380L required. *MARE 380L, Natural History of Sharks, Rays, and Skates Lab, 1 credit - Dr. Jason Turner* This course will further examine Elasmobranchs using a hands-on approach to compliment the work done in lecture using both laboratory and field-based activities. Laboratory sessions will involve detailed dissections of shark, ray, skate, and chimera functional anatomy. Students will also participate in a tagging study of coastal shark species throughout the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Pre: Concurrent enrollment in MARE 380 required. $250 lab fee payable upon registration. *MARE 490, Sea Turtle Conservation & Ecology, 3 credits - Dr. Jason Turner* All-encompassing look at the natural history of these ancient marine vertebrates with special focus on sea turtle of Hawaii. Topics include investigations of sea turtles, sea snakes, saltwater crocodiles and marine iguanas throughout the world. Subjects will consist of conservation and management, human impacts, reproductive and feeding ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and anatomy and physiology of these unique marine animals. Pre: prior college-level marine biology course recommended, or equivalent or instructor’s consent. Pre: Concurrent enrollment in MARE 490L. *MARE 490L, Sea Turtle Conservation & Ecology Laboratory, 1 credit - Dr. Jason Turner* Field and lab techniques employed by sea turtle biologists including shore and underwater photo-surveys, forage surveys, and evaluation of nests and hatchlings. Investigations will focus on local species of sea turtles of Hawaiiincluding green (*Chelonia mydas*) and hawksbill (*Eretmochelys imbricata*). Pre: Concurrent enrollment in MARE 490. $250 lab fee payable upon registration. *Tuition and Fees* *Tuition and fees for the 2016 Summer Session are:* Undergraduate Resident $288 per credit Undergraduate Non-resident $407 per credit Undergraduate WUE* $347.50 per credit Graduate Resident $447 per credit Graduate Non-resident $590 per credit Student Life Center fee: $ 35 Lab and Other Fees Varies *Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) and for Pacific Island students *Registration begins April 1; please email me directly if you have any questions at:* *jpturner@hawaii.edu <jpturner@hawaii.edu>* *For additional information about the University of Hawaii at Hilo Summer Program:* *http://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/summer/UHHilosMarineScienceSummerProgram.php <http://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/summer/UHHilosMarineScienceSummerProgram.php>*