NBIK24001U Marine Animal Diversity, Monitoring, and Habitats
MSc Programme in Biology
Biodiversity, life history traits and sampling methods of benthic and pelagic marine fish and invertebrates are studied by a series of lectures and student presentations based on laboratory exercises including species and habitat identification. All material used in the exercises are collected on-site during field work near-shore by fishing and snorkling and in deeper water using the research vessel Ophelia. The various taxonomic groups and research topics are treated by specialists.
Knowledge:
This course gives the participants a broad knowledge about
- Marine animal diversity.
- Life history traits and adaptions to the enviroment.
- Methods of field collection and monitoring.
- Identification of Danish marine fish and invertebrates to species level.
Skills:
By the end of the course the students are expected to have achieved the following skills:
- Describe the morphology,functional traits and taxonomy of the main phyla and classes of marine animals and relate it to environmental and habitat adaptions.
- Identify Danish marine fish and marine benthic invertebrates to the family, genus and/or species level.
- Overall knowledge about the phylogeny and evolution of the major groups of marine animals.
- Use techniques for collection and identification of marine meiofauna, holo- and meroplankton, macrofauna and megafauna.
Competences:
By the end of the course the students are expected to have achieved the following competences:
- Relate the density of inviduals, species density and species composition of specific benthic macrofauna to enviromental and habitat conditions.
- Be able to choose the optimal and most sustainable collection devise for a given type of benthic fauna survey.
- Be able to differentiate between sampling gear types used for qualitative and quantitative investigation and to perform a critical evaluation of the methods advantages and limitation for the results and conclusions.
- Plan and perform a quantitative benthic macrofaunal investigation, including analysis and discussion of the results.
See Absalon
Notice that there is a certain degree of overlap between this course and the course Marinbiologisk Sommerkursus.
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 10
- Preparation
- 129
- Practical exercises
- 32
- Excursions
- 22
- Project work
- 10
- Seminar
- 3
- Total
- 206
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Continuous assessment
- Type of assessment details
- The student will be evaluated for their active participation and performance during the course.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- passed/not passed
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Several internal examiners
- Re-exam
25 minutes oral examination in fauna identification, habitat relation and life strategies, as well as questions in learning outcome of related themes of the course. No preparation time and no aids.
Criteria for exam assesment
See Learning outcome
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NBIK24001U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Placement
- Summer
- Schedule
- 18-24 August 2025
- Course capacity
- 24
The number of places might be reduced if you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student.
Study board
- Study Board for the Biological Area
Contracting departments
- Department of Biology
- The Natural History Museum of Denmark
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Katrine Worsaae (kworsaae@bio.ku.dk)
Lecturers
Katrine Worsaae (BIO), Peter Rask Møller (SNM), Jørgen Olesen (SNM), Martin Vinter Sørensen (DTU-Aqua), Grete Dinesen (DTU-Aqua)