BB808: Field Course in Freshwater or Marine Biology (5 ECTS)

STADS: 04004301

Level
Master's level course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the spring semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: rnglud@biology.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
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Prerequisites:
None

Academic preconditions:
The curriculum from bachelor in biology or similar assumed to be known.

Course introduction
The participants plan, carry out, and analyze the results of a biological field project. The process includes the search for relevant scientific literature and the evaluation of results obtained in relation to the existing knowledge in the field. Specific research topics are chosen among pertinent biological issues in the natural environments that surround the field stations of the Institute of Biology, where the practical part of the course takes place. The participants will gain insights to the different stages of the research process in general, and to principle of and methods in biological fieldwork in particular.

Expected learning outcome
By the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:

• Search and critically select scientific literature pertaining to a particular biological topic.
• Use scientific articles and other sources to formulate working hypotheses for biological field projects.
• Design biological field investigations to test the hypotheses established.
• Carry out biological investigations and experiments in the field.
• Analyze the results gathered, and structure and describe these in a scientific style.
• Discuss own results in relation to previous investigations. • Define directions for interesting research in the future.

Subject overview
Projects involve aquatic habitats. Each year the teachers will define the specific limits within which the projects may be selected. The course has two parts:
1) Theory and planning: A research topic is selected and working hypotheses and a detailed research plan are elaborated based on a screening of relevant literature and discussions of the theory behind the topic.
2) Field course: The practical part is carried out as a combination of field laboratory work studies at either the Biological Institute’s field station Søgård or the Research Center for Marine Biology in Kerteminde. Accommodation at the field stations is mandatory. The results are analyzed and summarized in a report written in the style of a scientific paper.

Literature
There isn't any litterature for the course at the moment.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:
Satisfactory participation in the theoretical (min. 80%) and practical (min. 90%) parts of the course as well as approval of the written report is required. Evaluated by the Danish 7-mark scale and internal evaluation.

Reexam after 2nd quarter.

Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.

Der er en marin- og en ferskvandsudgave af kurset. Feltkurset på den marine del foregår på Marinbiologisk Forskningscenter i Kerteminde. Feltkurset på ferskvandsudgaven af kurset foregår i Søgaardlejren. Det vil være muligt at meddele, hvilken del man foretrækker.
Educational activities

Language
This course is taught in English, if international students participate. Otherwise the course is taught in Danish.

Course enrollment
See deadline of enrolment.

Tuition fees for single courses
See fees for single courses.