Introductory description

The overall aims of the module are to introduce the students to the major marine habitats, the ecologically significant groups of organisms, and the biological processes in the oceans that play a crucial role in regulating the global fluxes of major elements

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The ocean and coastal environment
Remote sensing
Major phytoplankton groups
Microbial Loop
Photosynthetic picoplankton
Molecular approaches
Biogeochemical cycles I (C,S,P)
Biogeochemical cycles II (N,Fe) -N2 fixation
Marine microbial interactions
Marine Biodiversity
From shallow to deep sea environments with hydrothermal vents
Coral reefs and MPAs
Marine Biotechnology
Anthropogenic effects on the oceans

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• understand the physicochemical nature of the oceans in relation to the physiology of the major groups of oceanic organisms contributing to biogeochemical cycling
• understand the techniques used for identifying novel major groups of microorganisms
• analyse and explain the major oceanic food chains and concepts such as “the microbial loop.”
• critically evaluate the ocean as the main driver of global biogeochemical cycles
• explore the types of interactions that occur and evolutionary theories that have developed from studying these habitats
• compare the key features of classical and specialized marine habitats, and the nature of marine biodiversity.
• Critically evaluate the use of marine protected areas as a mechanism for managing biological resources.
• Utilise scientific computing to critically evaluate large, complex datasets, specifically remote sensing.
• Critically evaluate the effect of anthropogenic forces on marine biodiversity and ecosystem function
• Apply principles of biotechnology to sustainable exploitation of marine resources

Indicative reading list

Part A: Biological Oceanography Some material from the second year Microbiology text book (Biology of
Microorganisms, 15th edn. - Madigan, Bender, Buckley, Sattley, Stahl) will be useful for this module.
Lalli, C. M. and Parsons, T. R. Biological Oceanography: An Introduction, 2nd edn. (Butterworth Heinemann, 1997).
Munn, C. Marine Microbiology, 2nd edn. (Garland Science, 2011). Part B: Ecological Principles and Processes
Krebs, C.J. Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. 6th Edition. Pearson Benjamin
Cummings, San francisco
Townsend, C. R., Begon, M. and Harper, J. L. (2008) Essentials of Ecology, 3rd Edition. Blackwell Publ., Oxford.
Mayhew, P. J. (2006). Discovering Evolutionary Ecology; Bringing Together Ecology and Evolution. Oxford University
Press.
Spellerberg, I. (2005). Monitoring Ecological Change, 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press.

Subject specific skills

-Analysis of netcdf remote sensing in the MATLAB environment
-Statistical analysis of time-series data
-Ecological metrics

Transferable skills

• Self directed learning adult learning critical appraisal of source material
• Handling and analysis of large datasets through scientific computing