If I were you I would have two questions
about this course. One is "Why invertebrates?"
And two is "Why Woods Hole?"
Why invertebrates? There is much more
diversity among invertebrates than vertebrates –
in diversity in terms of individual
species. There's 10,000 birds, 3,000 mammals
20,000 snails. And in terms of the way
you build the body, the different body plans –
that's what this course is about.
Why Woods Hole?  Along east coast of North
America there are four major divisions
of the kinds of animals you find in the ocean.
One at Cape Canaveral, one at Cape Hatteras
And one of the southern edge of
Cape Cod, right at Woods Hole.
The interesting thing about Woods Hold is
we will be sitting right on this final
boundary.  And the opportunity you'll have in
this course is the difference between
going to the zoo and going to the
Serengeti plains.
