NBIK14008U Marine Biology

Volume 2015/2016
Education
MSc Programme in Biology
Content

The course gives a comprehensive description of the different marine ecosystems (i.e., open waters, soft and hard substrate, macrophyte communities, coral reefs, extreme environments (e.g., hydrothermal vents and hypersaline environments). The ecosystems are described at the system level as well as at the organismal level. The habitats and the biology of the organisms are   presented in conjunction to their ecology and importance for the productivity and turnover of organic matter. Behavioral, physiological and evolutionary aspects of life in different marine habitats are presented. The implications of the enormous size differences in marine waters are discussed. Human impact on ecosystems is discussed. The topics are covered through lectures, theoretical and practical exercises, demonstrations and excursions to different selected locations. The students are introduced to modern experimental techniques in marine biology. Guest lectures and the course teachers present current research topics.

Learning Outcome

By attending the course the student will achieve:

 

Knowledge:

The student can identify, describe and has a general overview of water as a medium for living organisms including hydrography, fluid dynamics, diffusive and turbulent transport. The student can identify, describe and has a general overview of different marine organismal groups (i.e., virus, bacteria, phototrophic and heterotrophic protists, metazooplankton, macroalgae, invertebrates, fish and mammals). The student can identify, describe and has a general overview of selected life processes in water and sediment (i.e., photosynthesis, food uptake and energetics, degradation of organic matter, sedimentation, behavioral and chemical interactions between the organisms). The student can identify, describe and has a general overview of how processes like growth, grazing, predation and general physiology determine the occurrences of organisms in time and space. The student will be able to identify and describe important processes in the marine environment and place them in a comprehensive biological context.

 

Skills:

The student will be able to explain the structure and function of different marine systems spanning from productive eutrophic estuaries to the blue oligotrophic open ocean.  The student will be able to explain how the different marine systems depend upon the relationships with the microbial food web, cascade effects and bentho-pelagic coupling. The student can explain the general biology and life processes of marine organisms. The student will be able to explain and summarize how human activities may affect the life in the sea on a regional scale as well as on a global scale. The student can use common methods, tools and techniques used in the study of marine organisms and processes (e.g., microscopy, incubation and tracer techniques, tracking techniques for studying marine mammals and fish, techniques for measurement of invertebrate filter-feeding, in-situ instruments in bio-geochemistry).

 

Competences:

The student will be able to evaluate the importance of hydrography, diffusive and turbulent transport for the life of marine organisms and for biogeochemical processes. The student can evaluate how processes like growth, grazing and predation determine the occurrences of organisms in time and space. The student can generalize existing knowledge concerning the structure and function of different marine systems spanning from productive eutrophic estuaries to the blue oligotrophic open ocean. The student can evaluate how human activities may affect the life in the sea on a regional scale as well as on a global scale.

Literature

See Absalon.

Lectures, theoretical and practical exercises, demonstrations, cruises and excursions.
The course is a mandatory part of the Marine Biology programme.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Guidance
  • 10
  • Lectures
  • 77
  • Practical exercises
  • 13
  • Preparation
  • 241
  • Project work
  • 40
  • Theory exercises
  • 30
  • Total
  • 412
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral defence, 30 minutes
30-minute oral defense of one of the written exam projects and course syllabus.
The oral presentation counts 100% of the grade.
Exam registration requirements
4 written exam projects must be approved by the responsible teacher during the course.

If the requirement is not fulfilled, it can be fulfilled before the reexamination. 4 written exam projects must be handed in no later than two weeks before the registration period for reexamination ends. The written exam projects must be approved before reexamination.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Criteria for exam assesment

The grade 12 is given for an oral exam if the student:

  1. In an excellent way can present the overall theme of the selected written exam projects, and the including course syllabus
  2. Is able to discuss methods and materials used to gather scientific data within the selected exam project
  3. Is able read and interpret scientific results and evaluate the scientific statements, including the use to statistical analytic tools
  4. Is able to discuss obtained results and put them into the right context
  5. Is able to suggest future experiments or field studies to further address the important questions in the particular research field