Florida Department of Education
Curriculum Framework 

Program Title:	Marine Mammal Behavior and Training
Career Cluster:	Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

CCC	
CIP Number	0101050501	
Program Type	College Credit Certificate (CCC)	
Program Length	15 credit hours	
CTSO	N/A	
SOC Codes (all applicable) 	Please see the CIP to SOC Crosswalk located at the link below.	
CTE Program Resources 	http://www.fldoe.org/academics/career-adult-edu/career-tech-edu/program-resources.stml	

Purpose
This certificate program is part of the Marine Environmental Technology AS degree program (1103060101).  

A College Credit Certificate consists of a program of instruction of less than sixty (60) credits of college-level courses, which is part of an AS or AAS degree program and prepares students for entry into employment (Rule 6A-14.030, F.A.C.).

This program offers a sequence of courses that provides coherent and rigorous content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career cluster; provides technical skill proficiency, and includes competency-based applied learning that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work attitudes, general employability skills, technical skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge of all aspects of the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources career cluster. 

The purpose of this program is to provide technically skilled employees for the marine mammal training, behavior, and research fields.  Graduates of this program will obtain the fundamental academic skills necessary to be successful at entry level positions in the marine mammal training, behavior and research fields and demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts of marine mammal science.

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to understand and practice the fundamentals of: marine mammal husbandry; marine mammal medical care and pathology; behavior modification and training; anatomy; physiology; maternity; population management; habitat and maintenance; environmental enrichment; cognitive and behavioral research methodology, design and implementation; dolphin acoustics; and communication; marine mammal law; and conservation.

Additional Information relevant to this Career and Technical Education (CTE) program is provided at the end of this document.
Standards

After successfully completing this program, the student will be able to perform the following:

01.0	Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of marine mammal anatomy and evolution. 
02.0	Demonstrate basic knowledge of marine mammal social structure and culture. 
03.0	Demonstrate proficiency of basic marine mammal training and husbandry techniques.
04.0	Demonstrate knowledge of principle marine mammal laws and regulations. 
05.0	Describe and discuss research focused on marine mammals. 
06.0	Demonstrate knowledge of conservation issues involving marine mammals. 
07.0	Demonstrate an understanding of the guiding principles and practices of marine mammals in human care.  
08.0	Implement the skills and knowledge to interpret a live animal presentation for an audience.
09.0	Conduct an informal presentation on social structure, behavior, learning, and conservation threats.
10.0	Effectively connect an audience to a live marine mammal to influence personal conservation behavior.

Florida Department of Education
Student Performance Standards

Program Title: 	Marine Mammal Behavior and Training
CIP Number:	0101050501
Program length: 	15 credit hours	

This certificate program is part of the Marine Environmental Technology AS degree program (1103060101).  At the completion of this program, The student will be able to:	
01.0	Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles of marine mammal anatomy and evolution. The student will be able to:	
01.01	Demonstrate an understanding of the external and internal aspects of dolphin anatomy and physiology, and their role in the successful survival of a mammal in the marine environment.	
01.02	Demonstrate knowledge of the anatomy and evolution of various marine mammals including other cetaceans, pinnipeds and sirenians.	
01.03	Demonstrate knowledge of the evolution of marine mammals.	
02.0	Demonstrate basic knowledge of marine mammal social structure and culture. The student will be able to:	
02.01	Demonstrate an understanding of basic dolphin or other marine mammal ecology as related to communication, foraging, reproduction, calf rearing, and social structure.	
02.02	Explain and outline marine mammal maternal characteristics, behaviorism human care and the wild, as well as prenatal care, birthing situations and maternity care of mother and neonate human care facilities.	
02.03	Explain the natural social ecology of dolphins or other marine mammals and the importance and impact of it on how they are managed at a human care facility.	
02.04	Demonstrate an understanding of the basic social structure of other representative marine mammal taxa. 	
02.05	Demonstrate how the term “culture” has been theorized to apply to certain aspects of cetacean societies and how that impacts our understanding of their cognition.	
02.06	Understand the portrayal of marine mammals in the media and how and why it has changed over time.	
02.07	Understand the application of animal assistance to humans throughout history and the more recent use of marine mammals in military service and how the latter has greatly contributed to our essential knowledge base of marine mammals overall.	
03.0	Demonstrate proficiency of basic marine mammal training and husbandry techniques. The student will be able to:	
03.01	Understand the philosophy and techniques of operant (behavioral) conditioning, with a focus on positive reinforcement and relationship-based training, in training behavior and its application to working with dolphins or other marine mammals.	
03.02	Demonstrate operant conditioning techniques through the use of learned hand signals in communicating requests for various trained behaviors from the dolphin or other marine mammal.	
03.03	Apply skills learned in animal care, handling and reinforcement during a live animal presentation for the general public.	
03.04	Construct a plan for basic marine mammal care, dietary and medical needs, and animal handling.	
03.05	Understand the medical issues unique to marine mammals, methods of treatment of bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic disease, established preventive care practices.	
03.06	Demonstrate the use of operant conditioning in training a new behavior through outlining, developing, implementing and modifying a behavior chain through practical application with the animals.	
03.07	To summarize the importance of voluntary medical behavior training, concepts and techniques used to desensitize animals to non-invasive medical equipment and procedures. Understand the importance of the trainer/animal relationship with regard to properly maintaining the health and well being of the animals.	
03.08	To investigate and understand the purpose and necessity of animal enrichment including cognitive, development, and social aspects. Design and implement enrichment activities to enhance the habitat and activities of the animals.	
03.09	To summarize safety precautions and the social issues surrounding enrichment devices, habitat design, safety, maintenance, social groupings, nutrition, training, and energetics of dolphins or other marine mammals.	
03.10	To critique various career pathways and opportunities available in the field of marine mammal care and training, including necessary academics, field experience, trainer forums, further experiential education in the field, networking, etc.	
04.0	Demonstrate knowledge of principle marine mammal laws and regulations. The student will be able to:	
04.01	Understand and explain the laws and regulating agencies, and their evolution, designed to protect marine mammals in both the wild and human care as well as regulate facilities.  	
04.02	Understand the separate roles of both NOAA and the Department of Agriculture and how they impact marine mammals and marine mammal facilities.	
05.0	Describe and discuss research focused on marine mammals. The student will be able to:	
05.01	Describe the historical and current research efforts relating to dolphin or other marine mammal cognition, behavior, acoustics, communication, strandings, physiology, reproduction, and conservation.	
05.02	Summarize basic medical procedures and the importance and implications of husbandry techniques to marine mammal research.	
05.03	Explain how research with dolphins or other marine mammals in human care have expanded our understanding of their wild cousins and contributed to their conservation.	
05.04	Summarize trends in basic dolphin or other marine mammal ethology, past and ongoing studies related to cognition, behavior and communication and its application in research, as well as an understanding of passive observational data collection and facilitation of active cognitive research.	
05.05	Evaluate theories and research on echolocation and whistle production; implication of anthropogenic noise in the marine environment and ongoing research in the area.	
05.06	Conduct independent behavioral observations.	
05.07	Review research design and logistics as it applies to marine mammals in human care through a project design exercise conducted collaboratively throughout the course, including an understanding of results analyses and interpretation.	
05.08	Critique career pathways and requirements toward becoming a marine mammal research scientist in human care settings (ex situ) and in the field (in situ).	
06.0	Demonstrate knowledge of conservation issues involving marine mammals. The student will be able to:	
06.01	Understand the current conservation issues of international/domestic concern which affect marine mammals and their environment, cumulative impacts both natural and human induced, as well as ways in which individuals can affect the environment in a positive manner to conserve the species.	
06.02	Master the skills in synthesizing new information and experiences with prior conceptions of dolphins or other marine mammals and the marine environment to clearly refine their opinions and knowledge base.	
06.03	Outline the organization of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network; procedures used in assisting and rehabilitating stranded marine mammals; international and domestic issues concerning threats to dolphins or other marine mammals and the marine environment.	
06.04	List anthropogenic effects on marine mammals and their environment, and demonstrate an understanding of research needed in this area, implications of impacts and associated research.	
06.05	Understand past and present state of whaling operations around the world and the processes and organizations that govern these activities.	
06.06	Understand status of certain endangered marine mammal species and conservation measures to sustain their populations.	
07.0	Demonstrate an understanding of the guiding principles and practices of marine mammals in human care. The student will be able to:	
07.01	To diagram population management, including theories, tools and strategies for maintaining a population’s genetic diversity and demographic stability in order to ensure its long-term persistence.	
07.02	Summarize specific concerns surrounding appropriate design, construction, and maintenance of aquatic mammal habitats for marine mammals in human care.	
08.0	Implement the skills and knowledge to interpret a live animal presentation for an audience. The student will be able to:	
08.01	Explain in detail what makes an effective live animal presentation.	
08.02	Effectively assess audience demographics and adapt to their needs.	
08.03	Effectively read, understand, and generate the audience’s interest.	
08.04	Clearly interpret animal behavior for a live audience.	
09.0	Conduct an informal presentation on social structure, behavior, learning, and conservation threats. The student will be able to:	
09.01	Effectively assess audience demographics and adapt to their needs.	
09.02	Effectively read, understand, and generate the audience’s interest.	
09.03	Appropriately select educational information.	
10.0	Effectively connect an audience to a live marine mammal to influence personal conservation behavior. The student will be able to:  	
10.01	Connect to the audience and maintain their attention.	
10.02	Communicate interesting aspects of the animal's personality and unique qualities to enable audience members to personally relate to the animal.	
10.03	Suggest simple personal solutions that lead to conservation behavior (e.g., refusing single-use plastics, obeying the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, etc.) that positively impacts the marine environment.	

Additional Information

Laboratory Activities

Laboratory investigations that include scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, emerging technologies, tools and equipment, as well as, experimental, quality, and safety procedures are an integral part of this career and technical program/course. Laboratory investigations benefit all students by developing an understanding of the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work, as well as the skills required to manage, operate, calibrate and troubleshoot equipment/tools used to make observations. Students understand measurement error; and have the skills to aggregate, interpret, and present the resulting data. Equipment and supplies should be provided to enhance hands-on experiences for students.

Accommodations

Federal and state legislation requires the provision of accommodations for students with disabilities to meet individual needs and ensure equal access. Postsecondary students with disabilities must self-identify, present documentation, request accommodations if needed, and develop a plan with their counselor and/or instructors. Accommodations received in postsecondary education may differ from those received in secondary education. Accommodations change the way the student is instructed. Students with disabilities may need accommodations in such areas as instructional methods and materials, assignments and assessments, time demands and schedules, learning environment, assistive technology and special communication systems. Documentation of the accommodations requested and provided should be maintained in a confidential file.