Animal: Sea Otter (Scientific name: Enhydra lutris)

Guidelines for Research Report & Presentation
MSCI 1501K, Fall 2019
Report (SEE BELOW FOR SUBMISSION INFORMATION):
Your successful report MUST include

Cover page
(Title, your name, “MSCI 1501K Introduction to Marine Biology”, date submitted, and
instructor’s name (Dwight Ebanks, Ph.D.). For example:
The Sea Squirt
Didemnum vexillum
Jonathan Doe
MSCI 1501K.01 Introduction to Marine Biology
Submitted XX Month XXXX
Instructor: Dwight Ebanks, Ph.D.

Length & General Specifications
: Cover page plus 2 pages of text minimum -3 pages of text maximum,
double-spaced, typed.  After the text, there will be a Literature Cited section.

Font
: Times New Roman, 12-point OR Arial, 12-point.  Whichever font-type you select, stick with it for the
whole document.

Recommend
your report be reviewed prior to submission.

Quotations are not allowed.  

Bold
the
headers
for the different sections.

There must be an introduction and conclusion section.

Topical Instructions:
This report is on the marine animal for which you were approved (only 1 species).  If you were not
approved for an animal you cannot proceed.  You MUST get approval first.  A successful report will include
the following elements
in the order
(do not combine sections) listed below about the animal that you
selected:
– Introduction
– Taxonomic classification (Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species) (learn to
correctly
pronounce these for your presentation)
– Habitat
– Reproductive strategy
– Morphology (size, shape, appearance)
– Ecology (How does your animal interact with its environment and the other animals in its habitat?)
– Unique traits/characteristics
– Conclusion
***Note: You will be the only student reporting on your animal so go all out and give as much detail as
possible.  You are to focus on your species and not other similar animals even if they are in the same
genus.***
Citations!!! (minimum: 2 not including the text book or websites, all citations must be in
the text)