Marine Biology
A Leading California Community College for Marine Biology
We offer a very wide variety of courses in marine biology, specializing in field courses exploring local habitats.
About the Program
Pierce College is one of the leading community colleges for marine biology in California. We offer more courses than almost any 2-year college in California and more than most universities. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on fieldwork with most courses devoted to field study. Students study local marine environments including the kelp forests of Catalina Island. Classes are open to all students (there are no pre-requisites to enroll in any of the courses listed below).
Who runs the Program?
Dr. Crystal Ng is an Assistant Professor in Life Sciences and leads the Marine Biology Program, which is part of the Life Science Department. After graduating UC Berkeley as an undergrad, she spent a year as an AmeriCorps member in rural northern California working on salmon conservation. She received her PhD from Stanford University researching the impacts of climate change on California kelp forests. After a brief stint on the East Coast working on seaweed farming and teaching at the University of Connecticut, she moved back to California and joined Pierce in 2022. She is dedicated to making her classes engaging, collaborative, and hands-on. She emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills, which are useful for students pursuing any career path.
Please contact Dr. Ng (ngca at piercecollege.edu) if you have any questions or suggestions about the program.
Interested in becoming a marine biologist?
Pierce does not have a dedicated marine biology major. Students who wish to pursue marine biology, including transferring to a university with a marine biology major, will typically follow the Biology pathway and take the marine biology courses listed below as elective courses. Students are encouraged to take any and all the courses to establish a strong foundation in marine biology and develop skills in experimental design, data collection, fieldwork, and animal husbandry.
Students interested in marine biology but open to other environment related fields are encouraged to look at other Pierce course offerings, including Oceanography (e.g., OCEANO 001), Environmental Science (e.g., ENV SCI 001), and Natural History (e.g., BIOLOGY 10, BIOLOGY 12).
Courses
A comprehensive course that introduces students to marine organisms, habitats, and the effects of humans on the oceans. CSU/UC transferable. Offered every Fall and Spring semester online and in-person.
Intended to be taken concurrently with the lecture course but can be taken afterwards with a grade of a C or better in Biology 121. Laboratories are hands-on activities meant to enhance understanding of marine organisms and morphology. This course has a strong field emphasis where students visit local rocky intertidal systems and conduct a semester-long group project. CSU/UC transferable. Offered every Spring semester in-person.
This short course is an introduction to kelp forest ecology, focusing on the composition of Southern California fish, algae, and invertebrate communities. It includes a one-day snorkeling trip at Catalina Island. CSU transferable. Offered on a pass/no pass basis only. Offered for the first time Spring 2025!
This short course includes fieldtrips to various marine habitats in Southern California, including wetlands, coves, the rocky intertidal, and kelp forests. There is a particular emphasis on understanding the effects of urbanization and development within Los Angeles and their downstream impacts on marine systems. CSU transferable. Offered on a pass/no pass basis only. Coming soon! Please check back for updates.
A week-long course introducing students to the various tools and research methods used by marine and environmental scientists. Students will live at USC's Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island. Highly encouraged for any student interested in pursuing ecology or environmental related fields. CSU transferable. Offered on a pass/no pass basis only. Coming soon! Please check back for updates.