BB832: Marine Ecosystems (5 ECTS)

STADS: 04013501

Level
Master's level course approved as PhD course

Teaching period
The course is offered in the autumn semester.

Teacher responsible
Email: ebk@biology.sdu.dk

Additional teachers
valdemarsen@biology.sdu.dk

Timetable
Show entire timetable
Show personal time table for this course.

Prerequisites:
None.

Academic preconditions:
Students taking the course are expected to:

• Have knowledge of general ecology
• Be able to use keys to identify marine benthic fauna
• Be at the level of a Bachelor’s degree in biology or similar

Course introduction
The aim of the course is to enable the student to identify dominating macrophytes and animal species in marine ecosystems, which is important in regard to evaluate the ecological conditions within and around marine ecosystem in Danish waters.

The course builds on the knowledge acquired in the courses BB510 Ecology and BB506 Marine and Brackish Water Ecology, and gives an academic basis for MSc thesis projects in marine biology.

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

• Give the competence to evaluate the ecological condition of the ocean based on benthic fauna
• Give skills to plan, sample and handle biological samples from the ocean
• Give knowledge and understanding of marine ecosystems and factors that control their functioning

Expected learning outcome
The learning objectives of the course are that the student demonstrates the ability to:

• Identify and describe the characteristics of the most common ecosystems in the world oceans and the dominating marine ecosystems in Danish waters
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative sampling of marine macrophytes and animals
• Handle and present flora and fauna data statistically correct
• Identify marine organisms to phylum, class and family level
• Discuss how abiotic and biotic factors affect the composition and distribution of living organisms in the ocean
• Discuss the importance of interactions among marine organisms and the influence from the surrounding environment for the formation and maintenance of marine ecosystems
• Explain and evaluate human influence on marine ecosystems by the use of relevant environmental indices

Subject overview
The following main topics are contained in the course:

• The physical environment in the ocean
• Marine biological sampling techniques
• Phytoplankton, zooplankton and nekton
• Phytobenthos and zoobenthos
• Habitat and succession
• Ecosystem characteristics

Literature

• Kompendium: Marine Ecosystems.

Website
This course uses e-learn (blackboard).

Prerequisites for participating in the exam
None

Assessment and marking:


Expected working hours
The teaching method is based on three phase model.
Intro phase: 6 hours
Skills training phase: 44 hours, hereof:
 - Tutorials: 12 hours
 - Laboratory exercises: 24 hours
 - Excursion: 8 hours

Educational activities

Educational form
The excursion will consist of a cruise with the research vessel Aurora in Aarhus Bight, where benthic fauna for the laboratory exercises will be sampled and water chemistry measured using state-of-the-art methods.

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.