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Marine Ecology

Module description

Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms, and the interactions between organisms and their environment. The marine realm contains a wonderous array of species from the smallest microbes, whose ancestors invented photosynthesis, to the largest marine mammals, who roam vast tracks of ocean and play key roles in shaping the habitats through which they pass. This diversity of marine life is matched by the enormous range of environments within the marine realm from warm tropical seas to frozen polar oceans, where life is shaped by sunlight, to deep sea hydrothermal vents where communities of organisms are shaped by unusual and extreme environments. In this module, we’ll see how understanding fundamental processes and concepts allow us to understand the complex array of life in the marine environment.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to investigate the ecological processes that shape all marine organisms from primary producers to top predators. In term one, we’ll consider how the diversity of marine organisms is shaped by environmental gradients across a broad range of spatial and temporary scales and how the response of primary producers subsequently shapes broader ecological communities. We’ll then consider how different habitats shape the life histories and ecologies of the resident communities, and how the trophic interactions between organisms accumulate to shape ecological communities. We’ll round off term one by seeing how modern molecular ecology allows us to characterise important patterns and process that would otherwise be impossible to study.

In Term 2, we consider the important roles played by marine mega-fauna (such as fishes, mammals, and seabirds) in shaping the ecology of marine environments. We’ll examine the adaptations and life histories that shape their roles in the wider ecosystem, and we’ll examine the range of approaches used to study key components of their ecology (such as feeding behaviour, movement patterns, and distributions). Finally, using a range of case studies, we will see how our understanding of marine ecosystems can be applied to monitor ecological responses to human impacts, mitigate environmental damage, and guide the sustainable use of marine resources.

As well as providing an in-depth knowledge of contemporary marine ecology, this module will enhance employability by providing training in the measurement and characterisation of ecological processes, communities, and species interactions, using a range of practical approaches and data handling techniques. This module will also provide opportunities to develop transferrable skills such as scientific writing, critical thinking, time management, and teamwork.

• problem solving (linking theory to practice, responding to novel and unfamiliar problems, confidence in data handling, analysis and interpretation)
• time management (managing time effectively individually and within a group)
• collaboration (taking initiative and leading others, supporting others in their work)
• self and peer review (taking responsibility for own learning, using feedback from multiple sources)
• audience awareness (presenting ideas effectively in multiple formats)

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand the foundational concepts and principles that underpin our understanding of marine ecology.
• 2. Understand the role that different groups of organisms (from primary producers to top predators) play in different marine habitats.
• 3. Understand that a broad range of approaches used to investigate marine ecology and learn how to analyse and interpret the range of complex data generated by these approaches.
• 4. Discuss the different genetic techniques used to inform our understanding of population structure and patterns of connectivity in the marine environment and understand how genetic approaches can be used to monitor marine organisms.
• 5. Develop knowledge, skills, and understanding of how genetic data are generated, analysed and interpreted.
• 6. Discuss the ways in which research in marine ecology is used to assess, and address, contemporary threats to marine ecosystems, and to guide sustainable use of marine resources.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Describe essential facts and theory across a sub-discipline of bioscience
• 8. Identify critical questions from the literature and synthesise research-informed examples into written work
• 9. Identify and implement, with some guidance, appropriate methodologies and theories for addressing a specific research problem in biosciences
• 10. With guidance, deploy established techniques of analysis, practical investigation, and enquiry within biosciences
• 11. Describe and begin to evaluate approaches to our understanding of biosciences with reference to primary literature, reviews and research articles

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 12. Develop, with guidance, a logical and reasoned argument with sound conclusions
• 13. Communicate ideas, principles and theories using a variety of formats in a manner appropriate to the intended audience
• 14. Evaluate own strengths and weaknesses in relation to professional and practical skills identified by others

Syllabus plan

The module will be delivered via face-to-face lectures, discussions and practical classes. Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, the syllabus will cover the following topics: 

• Introduction to marine ecosystems – key processes and key environments
• Primary production in the oceans and the fundamentals of plankton ecology
• Marine benthic environments and their invertebrate communities
• Molecular ecology and the study of dispersal in marine organisms
• Trophic ecology and the key role of predator-prey interactions
• The ecology of marine fish
• The diverse ecological roles of marine mammals, seabirds, and apex predators
• The movement and distribution of marine megafauna
• Applying marine ecology

Practical sessions will reinforce topics covered in lectures, focussing particularly on scientific enquiry skills.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in that assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken because of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to complete a further assessment that will count for 100% of the module mark and be capped at the pass mark.

If a module has one exam the deferral and 100% referral exam can be the same but for modules with two exams, the 100% referral exam will be different and consist of questions from both.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Kaiser, M. J. (2011). Marine ecology: processes, systems, and impacts. Oxford University Press.
• Davis (2019) Marine Mammals: Adaptations for an Aquatic Life. Springer.
• Eddy & Handy (2012) Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Fishes. Oxford University Press

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE