With water covering about 70 percent of the planet's surface, it makes sense that Cornell students should have the option to study marine biology.

After undergraduates conveyed their enthusiasm for formal study in this area, the university announced in late October a new marine biology concentration for biology majors.

Students can enroll in the concentration starting in fall 2012, though advising has already begun. Courses will be spread across nine departments on campus, including microbiology, ecology and evolutionary biology, natural resources, earth and atmospheric sciences, and Shoals Marine Lab, where students may get valuable field work experience.

Biology majors who choose to concentrate in marine biology must fulfill a 15-credit requirement: An introductory class related to the marine environment and 12 credits taken in two groups of courses. Another requirement involves fieldwork, as most marine biologists engage in field research.

To start with, Introduction to Oceanography (BioEE 1540) or Ecology and the Marine Environment (BioSM 1610), among other courses, will serve as a first-step for the concentration, providing a foundation for further courses in marine biology and ecology. Group A courses will give students an appreciation for the diversity, anatomy and physiology, ecological interactions, evolution and adaptations of marine organisms to their environments. Group B provides advanced knowledge of biological and ecological dynamics of marine ecosystems, biogeochemistry, and such current threats to marine organisms as climate change and topics related to humans' impact on the oceans.

"The new concentration will be very focused on marine biology as distinct from oceanography and will be more at the organismal level," said Ian Hewson, an assistant professor of microbiology and director for undergraduate studies for the marine biology concentration. "It provides students with a multifaceted experience more like other concentrations that students can enroll in as well," he added.

Finally, the concentration includes a fieldwork component, which could be covered through an internship, volunteer work, a semester abroad, or classes (like Ecology and the Marine Environment or a new course under development in evolution and marine ecology) offered at Shoals Marine Lab on Appledore Island, six miles off the New Hampshire coast. "Shoals is a focal point and a nurturing ground for marine biology on campus," said Hewson, who is also assistant director for research at Shoals. "We do a lot of recruiting through Shoals for our courses on campus and this concentration," he added. Taking classes at Shoals is not required for the concentration.

The new marine biology concentration will help prepare students for graduate studies in marine biology, fisheries and oceanography that lead to positions in academic institutions, museums, aquariums and government agencies; aquaculture and marine resources management; natural products chemistry and pharmaceuticals; environmental or maritime law; and veterinary science.

Students interested in learning more can attend a Shoals open house Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. in the A.D. White House or contact Hewson at hewson@cornell.edu.