NBIK14008U Marine Biology

Volume 2019/2020
Education

MSc Programme in Biology

MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject

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 cruises in the Øresund. 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.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Lectures, theoretical and practical exercises, demonstrations, cruises and excursions.
The majority of the teaching will take place at the Marine Section in Helsingør.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Guidance
  • 16
  • Lectures
  • 39
  • Practical exercises
  • 13
  • Preparation
  • 255
  • Project work
  • 58
  • Theory exercises
  • 30
  • Total
  • 412
Written
Oral
Collective
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 minutes
Oral examination in one of the written exam projects and course syllabus. 30 minutes preparation time. 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.

 

Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

The same as the ordinary exam.

If the requirement is not fulfilled, it can be fulfilled before the reexamination. 4 written exam projects must be handed in and approved no later than three weeks before the reexamination.

Criteria for exam assesment

In order to obtain the grade 12 the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skills and competences described under Learning Outcome.