Marine Protected Areas
| Module title | Marine Protected Areas |
|---|---|
| Module code | BIOM4050 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Julie Hawkins (Lecturer) Professor Callum Roberts (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
The modern era is called the Anthropocene in view of the rising influence of people on almost every aspect of planetary life. Human impacts are causing widespread habitat destruction and biodiversity loss to such an extent that many argue we have now initiated the sixth mass extinction. Against this backdrop, marine protected areas increasingly play a critical role in alleviating pressures to save wildlife and habitats. By 2030, global targets for marine protected area coverage could rise from 10% of the sea to 30%. We are therefore in the middle of a period of intensive marine protected area creation. But despite successes, many marine protected areas are failing to meet their objectives, and biodiversity losses continue. In this module you will learn about the history of marine protected areas and how to select, design, establish and manage them, including developing networks of mutually supporting protected areas. We will explore what marine protected areas can achieve and the ecological and social factors required to make them successful.
The module assumes no specific skills or experience, and there are no pre-requisite modules required. It is accessible for non-specialist students, including those on multi-disciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Marine Protected Areas play an increasing role in the management of the sea and the amelioration of human impacts, and many organisations and agencies are contributing to their establishment and management. Given global targets for increasing marine protected area coverage, work in this field is expected to become an area of rapid employment growth, providing many opportunities for graduates. The module will give a broad overview of marine protected areas from selection to establishment and management, providing essential knowledge for professional work in this field.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe the main drivers of biodiversity loss and the role marine protected areas can play in mitigating them.
- 2. Describe in detail the process of creating marine protected areas, from selection to management.
- 3. Understand and explain the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to implementation and management of marine protected areas.
- 4. Discuss the reasons why many marine protected areas fail to fully protect biodiversity and understand how to improve their success.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Describe in detail and analyse essential facts and theory.
- 6. Analyse and evaluate independently a range of research-informed literature and synthesise examples into written work.
- 7. Identify and implement, with limited guidance, appropriate methodologies and theories for solving a range of complex problems in protected area management.
- 8. With minimal guidance, deploy established techniques of analysis, investigation, and enquiry.
- 9. Describe and evaluate in detail approaches to our understanding of protected areas with reference to primary literature, reviews and research articles.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 10. Devise and sustain, with little guidance, a logical and reasoned argument with sound, convincing conclusions.
- 11. Communicate effectively arguments, evidence, and conclusions using a variety of formats in a manner appropriate to the intended audience.
- 12. Analyse and evaluate appropriate data and complete a range of research-like tasks with very limited guidance.
- 13. 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.
- 14. Reflect effectively and independently on learning experiences and evaluate personal achievements.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Part 1: The need for marine protected areas
Overview of drivers of biodiversity loss (CR)
Extinction (CR)
Part 2: Selecting and designing marine protected areas
Selection criteria for protected areas (JH)
Selection criteria continued (JH)
Design of protected areas: Size, numbers, replication (CR)
Design of protected areas: Shape, coverage (CR)
Networking principles (CR)
Computer-based protected area selection (CR)
Practical session 1: How to approach the coursework task (JH)
Part 3: Managing marine protected areas
Setting conservation objectives (CR)
Why do so many protected areas fail to meet their objectives? (JH)
How much protection is enough? (CR)
Preconditions for success (JH)
Monitoring, surveillance, compliance and enforcement (JH)
Practical session 2: Coursework discussion and question and answer session (JH & CR)
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | Lectures and discussion session |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 3 | Trip to the coast to see a marine protected area and to hear a manager talk about it |
| Guided independent learning | 125 | Additional research, reading and preparation for module assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussions during lectures and practical sessions | Ongoing throughout the module | 1-14 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poster | 20 | 1 page | 1-13 | Written |
| Report | 80 | 3,000 words | 1-13 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster | Poster (1 page) | 1-13 | Referral/deferral period |
| 3,000-word report | 3,000-word report | 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 50%) you will be required to re-submit an assessment as described in the table above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
There is no specific course text for this module, but there are useful guides produced by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which will be recommended and are downloadable for free.
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Lecture specific research papers
- Research reading around coursework report.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 16/09/2020 |
| Last revision date | 16/03/2023 |
