Here is a quick update on my marine mammal research in the Pacific Northwest, and a plea from an old biologist for students and others to be holistic in their approach… I have been spending my time in various ways, including: 1) looking through a stereomicroscope at collagen and other connective tissue fibers (in the baleen filter and associated gums of whales); 2) planning and preparing for electron microscopy of whales’ oral tissues to reveal microscopic wear patterns from water flow; 3) dissecting whole marine mammals (harbor porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, and a sea otter) in necropsy sessions; and 4) looking at live marine mammals ranging from porpoises, dolphins, and whales (beluga, killer, humpback) to seals, sea lions, fur seals, and sea otters. Which is best? All of the above, naturally!

It is crucially important for biologists who study tiny levels of biological organization (molecules and cells) to know something about the ecology, behavior, and life history of the whole organisms these parts come from, even if those organisms are unicellular bacteria or yeasts. At the same time, biologists who work at the community and ecosystem level obviously need to know about the tissues and biochemical/physiological reactions that occur inside various organisms. Not surprisingly, the best understanding comes when you view life from all sides of this prism: that is, from both ends of this scale range and many points in between.

The great thing about biology at Hampden-Sydney is that our students and faculty—and our curriculum—ensure a focus on all levels of biological organization. Premedical students occasionally complain about having to study ecology, but it is essential for physicians to know about public health concerns from a population perspective, just as it is important for wildlife biologists to understand the molecular and genetic basis of life in whales, snakes, millipedes, and weeds. As I spend time at a huge (60,000 student) university where everyone—student and professor alike—is too often focused on a single tiny aspect of biology, it’s important to remember what a small institution like H-SC can offer, and indeed do better than a mighty, massive university. To put it another way—as one who daily spends time this autumn in an enormous (coastal temperate rain) forest—it is truly important “to see the forest for the trees.”