English

BB542: Life of fishes (5 ECTS)

STADS: 04018101

Level
Bachelor course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible

Email: wilson@biology.sdu.dk

Timetable

Group	Type	Day	Time	Classroom	Weeks	Comment
Common	I	Monday	11-12	U53	6-9,11-12,15
Common	I	Monday	14-20	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 12	10
Common	I	Wednesday	08-12	U150	18	2-hour theory exam
Common	I	Thursday	09-10	U53	5-12,14
Common	I	Thursday	15-18	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 15	15	Biologi Seminarrum.social event for the students
Common	I	Thursday	12-15	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 15	15	Biologi Seminarrum
H1	TE	Tuesday	08-16	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 13	21
H1	TE	Wednesday	08-16	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 13	21
H1	TE	Thursday	08-16	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 13	21
H2	TE	Friday	08-16	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 15	21
H2	TE	Saturday	08-16	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 15	21
H2	TE	Sunday	08-16	*Odense Lokalitet aftales 15	21

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Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
Students taking the course are expected to have:

basic-level light microscopy skills
to be able to use Microsoft Excel and Word, and Blackboard

Course introduction

The aim of this course is to give the student an introductory overview of the lifehistories, ecology and management of fishes in marine and freshwater environments, along with some consideration of how population ecology data is being applied to the current management of Danish species. The course will complement other courses in zoology and ecology that include some information on fish but without an extensive focus.

The course can be taken without any expected prerequisites, and gives an academic basis for studying other aquatic biology or ecology oriented topics which may form part of the Bachelor of Science or a subsequent Master-level degree. It is, however, recommended that students have a prior or concurrent enrolment in BB510 (Ecology) and BB525 (Zoology and evolution).

In relation to the competence profile of the degree it is the explicit focus of the course to train students to:

Establish an introductory understanding of the evolutionary history, diversity, lifehistory, and population biology and ecology of freshwater and marine fishes;
Understand the interplay between native and introduced fishes and their environments;
Understand how to use a range of research methods in studies of marine and freshwater fishes;
Formulate simple sampling designs
Conduct field and laboratory studies to examine the population ecology of selected species;
Carry out qualitative and quantitative measurements on populations of selected animals; and
Present and evaluate own data, and write a report.

Expected learning outcome

The learning objectives of the course is that the student demonstrates the ability to:

Understand the evolutionary context and diversity of modern-day fishes;
Describe a range of lifehistory modes in marine and freshwater fishes;
Discriminate between different parts of fish lifecycles, and the processes regulating community structure and abundances in each;
Understand ways in which fishes influence their own environment;
Understand the impacts of invasive pest fishes;
Carry out qualitative and quantitative measurements on populations of selected estuarine fishes;
Design sampling programs to investigate anthropogenic or natural environmental impacts on fish;
Collect and process their own fish field data, present and evaluate these, and produce a scientific report.

Subject overview

The following main topics are contained in the course:

Evolutionary history and diversity of modern-day fishes
Fish community structures
Lifehistory modes and lifecycles
The egg and larval lifecycle phases
Population replenishment
Juvenile and adult lifecycle phases
How fishes use different habitats
Anthropogenic and natural environmental impacts on fish
Influence of fishes on their environment
Impacts of invasive fishes
Research methods, in the field and laboratory
Application of ecological data to the management of freshwater and marine species

Literature

Helfman, G.S., Collette, B.B., Facey, D.E. & Bowen, B.W. 2009: The Diversity of Fishes: Biology, Evolution, and Ecology, Edition. Wiley-Blackwell. 736pp.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam

Research methods excursion/tutorial – Week 10. (04018112).
Summer excursion – Week 21. (04018122).

Attendance in both of these is a prerequisite for participation in the exam element a).

Assessment and marking:

Written assessments. Theory examination (50%) and Scientific report on field exercise (50%). (5 ECTS). Internal marking, 7-mark scale. No exam aids allowed for the theory examination. No restrictions in exam aids for the report. (5 ECTS). (04018102).

A closer description of the exam rules will be posted under 'Course Information' on Blackboard.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 2 hours
Skills training phase: 22 hours, hereof:
- Tutorials: 5 hours
- Laboratory exercises: 11 hours
- Excursion: 6 hours

Educational activities

Thirteen further lectures on core course content
Three guest lectures
Completion of assessment tasks outside of formal class-time
Lecture revision
Examination preparation

Educational form

This course will be based on a mix of lectures, fieldwork, open-discussion and small-group work tutorials, and a field and laboratory practical exercise. Ecology is a highly hands-on science, and this range of activities will give students a balanced exposure to not only new knowledge from lectures, but also a range of skills essential a modern-day practitioner. These include sampling design formulation, presentation skills, and practical (field/laboratory) research methods. Lectures cover a wide range of topics, and tutorials will be linked back to relevant lectures. Tutorials will be interactive.

The above program will be complemented with an opportunity to expose students to current examples of population ecology data being used to manage fish species in Denmark. This will be covered through three guest lecturers from other universities and stakeholders to fish population management in Denmark. The guest lectures will be followed by an opportunity for students to engage with the guests in a social setting.

Language
This course is taught in English.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.