Wei-Cheng Yang
Lien-Siang Chou

Fri 13:20~16:20
Open in Fall

3

This course is an interdisciplinary subject divided into two main parts. The first half of the semester covers the biological background knowledge of cetaceans, such as classification, geographic distribution, morphological adaptations, evolution, life history, feeding habits, social structure, and communication intelligence. It also explores the past, present, and future of the relationship between humans and the ocean, the development and historical context of marine conservation, and delves into the concepts and ideologies of marine conservation. Furthermore, it provides an introduction to the concepts of conservation biology, learning its main theories and methods, and discusses how to implement marine conservation from various perspectives, including ecological, economic, and humanistic aspects. The second half of the semester introduces important issues in cetacean conservation, such as whaling, fisheries conflicts, the development of whale watching, stranding response, dolphin captivity, and marine protected areas.