Marine Ecology and Evolutionary Conservation in Corsica
| Module title | Marine Ecology and Evolutionary Conservation in Corsica |
|---|---|
| Module code | BIO3449 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Camille Bonneaud (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 2 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
Home to over 17,000 marine species, the Mediterranean Sea is renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity, high levels of endemism, and unique ecological conditions shaped by its semi-enclosed waters of elevated salinity. Within it, the island of Corsica is particularly well-preserved, boasting a diversity of marine habitats like seagrass meadows, coral reefs, rocky coastlines, and deep-sea features. Corsica’s pristine habitats, limited industrial pollution, and protected areas, such as the Scandola Nature Reserve and Pelagos, make it a living laboratory for studying marine biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics, as well as the impacts of anthropogenic change on the Mediterranean Sea. The island's focus on sustainable practices also provides insights into balancing human activity with environmental conservation, making it a vital location for research and ecological preservation efforts.
Our field course to Corsica will allow you to:
- Practice marine field methods by conducting observations in the water (inshore & deeper water snorkelling), from boats, and on land, as well as trialling deep sea sampling techniques.
- Experiment with key laboratory tools and instruments used to measure marine ecosystems in situ and on land, including its currents, chemistry, and planctonology.
- Appreciate the value of evolutionary ecology approaches in successful conservation designs.
- Recognise how ecological conditions give rise to morphological and behavioural adaptations, as well as shape community composition.
- See how anthropogenic disturbance impacts marine ecosystems, and how crucial habitats can be restored through strategic conservation efforts.
- Understand how sustainable aquaculture practices can be implemented to help meet the growing demand for seafood while minimising environmental impacts.
- Pursue your own exciting research questions as part of group-generated projects.
Key skills: identification and observation; implementation of scientific method; data-collection; sampling and measurements; laboratory methods; becoming a team player.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The Marine Field Course in Corsica is an immersive, hands-on module that will provide unparalleled opportunities to observe, study, and analyse marine ecosystems directly in the field, thereby fostering a deep understanding of the interactions between species and their environments, as well as the impact of human activities on marine biodiversity. The key aims of this module are to show the interplay between natural and human-driven challenges in marine environments and provide students with practical experience in the application of ecological and evolutionary principles to conservation. Key learning activities will include the study of threats to seagrass ecosystems and restoration efforts, sustainable aquaculture practices, deep-sea sampling techniques, and the monitoring of endangered marine species.
The key concepts covered, and models systems used include:
- Survival strategies in fish (the role of camouflage, schooling and refugia in coastal versus pelagic species)
- The roles of evolution and behavioural ecology in conservation success
Transferable skills include: problem solving (linking theory to practice, responding to novel and unfamiliar problems, data handling), time management (managing time effectively on your own and as part of 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), presentation skills and audience awareness (presenting ideas effectively in multiple formats); appreciation of cultural differences.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand links between ecology and evolution in shaping species form and function
- 2. Provide examples and rationalise evidence for competing ecological drivers and modes of evolution
- 3. Understand that successful conservation and sustainability requires an understanding of animal behaviour and evolution, including how animals respond behaviourally and evolutionarily to exploitation, and the species concept
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of evolution in both behavioural and morphological traits
- 5. Describe in detail and analyse essential data and theory across a sub-discipline of biosciences
- 6. Apply knowledge to solving practical problems in field behavioural ecology
- 7. Deploy established techniques of analysis, practical investigation, and enquiry within biosciences
- 8. Describe and 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...
- 9. Devise and sustain, with little guidance, a logical and reasoned argument with sound, convincing conclusions
- 10. Effectively communicate arguments, evidence and conclusions using a variety of formats in a manner appropriate to the intended audience
- 11. Analyse and evaluate appropriate data and complete a range of research-like tasks with very limited guidance
- 12. Evaluate own strengths and weaknesses in relation to graduate-level professional and practical skills, and act autonomously to develop new areas of skills as necessary
- 13. Reflect effectively and independently on learning experiences and evaluate personal achievements
- 14. Work in a small team and deal proficiently with the issues that teamwork requires (i.e. communication, motivation, decision-making, awareness, responsibility, and management skills, including setting and working to deadlines)
Syllabus plan
This 12-day field course in Corsica is designed for third-year undergraduate students in Marine Biology. The course is based at the Submarine and Oceanographic Research Station (Stareso), which is set in the nature reserve of the stunning bay of Revellata, in North-Eastern Corsica. The course is run primarily in small groups to maximise learning experience. Course leaders are specialists in the topics included and derive from both the University of Exeter and Stareso. Accommodation is with onsite, with students benefiting from being surrounded with pristine and protected terrestrial and marine sites.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 110 | 190 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 4 | Pre-field course classes to prepare you academically and practically for the course, including the first assessment point |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 106 | In-situ classes provided by course leaders from CEC and USFQ, as well as local Naturalist Guides |
| Guided Independent Study | 190 | Additional reading and research and preparation for module assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short answer questions during the field course | Ongoing throughout the module | All | Oral |
| Seminars and discussions | Continuous assessment during the field course | All | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-field course topic factsheet | 25 | 1 side of A4 (Size 12 font) | All | Feedback sheet |
| Project presentation | 25 | 10 minutes including questions | All | Feedback sheet |
| Study design | 50 | 2 hours | 1-13 | Feedback sheet |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-field course topic factsheet, project presentation, study design | Study design (100%) | 1-13 | Referral/deferral period |
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 the assessment, or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
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. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will represent 100% of the module mark and be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Waycott, M. et al. Accelerating loss of seagrasses across the globe threatens coastal ecosystems. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 12377–12381 (2009).
Duarte, C. M. et al. Seagrass community metabolism: assessing the carbon sink capacity of seagrass meadows. Glob. Biogeochem. Cycles 24, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010gb003793 (2010).
Mohr, W., Lehnen, N., Ahmerkamp, S. et al. Terrestrial-type nitrogen-fixing symbiosis between seagrass and a marine bacterium. Nature 600, 105–109 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04063-4
Le Manach, F., et al. (2011) Preliminary estimate of total marine fisheries catches in Corsica, France (1950-2008). pp. 3-14. In: Harper, S. and Zeller, D. (eds.) Fisheries catch reconstructions: Islands, Part II. Fisheries Centre Research Reports 19(4). Le-Menach-et-al-Corsica-France.pdf
Van Dijk et al. 2024. Fisheries-induced life-history changes recover in experimentally harvested fish populations. Biol. Lett.2020240319 http://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0319
Panagada S et al. 2017. Estimating cetacean density and abundance in the central and western Mediterranean sea through aerial surveys: Implications for management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.04.018
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 24/09/2025 |
| Last revision date | 24/09/2025 |
