Marine and Freshwater Biology

Course manual 2025/2026

Course content

Planet earth is the blue planet with a large part of its surface (more than 70%) consisting of water, mainly in the form of seas and oceans. Marine and freshwater ecology is the branch of ecological science concerned with organisms that live in or near aquatic ecosystems, their behaviors, and their interactions with the environment. The course focusses on the physical, chemical and biological processes that are of key importance for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, the effects of human impact on the functioning of marine and freshwater ecosystems will be addressed.

Topics of the lectures include:

• The water cycle;
• Physical and chemical properties of water;
• Small- and large-scale movement of water;
• Ocean acidification;
• Phytoplankton, nutrients and light;
• Benthic primary producers;
• Resource limitation and competition;
• Marine and freshwater invertebrates, taxonomy
• Ecology of marine and freshwater animals
• Aquatic food webs;
• Eutrophication

In addition to these regular lectures,  students are challenged to give a lecture about an aquatic ecosystem of their own choice.

Two one-day excursions are planned, one to the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ at Texel) and one to the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO in Wageningen) to provide insights into current research in Freshwater and Marine Biology outside of the UvA.

Study materials

Literature

• Oceanography and Marine Biology by David W. Townsend, ISBN 9780878936021

• Freshwater Ecology, 2nd Edition, W.K. Dodds & M.R. Whiles (2010), Academic Press. ISBN 9780123747242. This book is available for free via the UvA-domein:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780123747242

Objectives

• can describe the biological, physical, and chemical interactions in aquatic ecosystems, from the scale of a few micrometers (turbulence and growth of plankton) to thousands of kilometers (ocean currents and their role in the climate)
• is able to explain adaptations to life in water
• has an overview of major taxonomic groups of organisms living in freshwater and marine ecosystems and their ecological functions
• is able to acquire an overview of a topic within the field of marine and freshwater biology based on textbooks and scientific literature and present this
• is able to search, read and understand research described in recent primary literature and explain it to others

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Fieldwork/excursion
• Self-study
• Seminar

Learning activities

Attendance

Additional requirements for this course:

The student lectures are considered as seminars, for which attendance of 4 out of 5 student lecture sessions is required. Participation in the excursions is obligatory.

Bovenstaande aanwezigheidsplicht geldt ook voor alle 'live' aangeboden online (computer)practica en werkcolleges.

Mocht je wegens persoonlijke omstandigheden (denk hierbij aan ziekte of bijzondere familieomstandigheden) niet kunnen deelnemen aan een verplichte onderwijsbijeenkomst, neem dan direct per e-mail contact op met de vakcoördinator. De vakcoördinator bespreekt dan met je of er mogelijkheden zijn om het onderwijs op een andere wijze te volgen, en zo ja welke.

Ben je langdurig niet in staat om onderwijs te volgen (langer dan 1 week), neem dan ook contact op met de studieadviseur.

Assessment

The assessment consists of the student lecture (30%) introducing a topic in marine or freshwater biology and recent research highlights in this area. The exam contributes 70% to the final grade. All lectures (including the general part of the student lectures) are part of the exam material. The lecture slides are supplemented by the relevant chapters in the two books listed above. A minimum grade of 5.0 needs to be achieved for both parts.

Inspection of assessed work

Please contact the course coordinator to inspect your work.

Assignments

Student lectures are prepared and given in groups of 2-3 students and are graded. Feedback is given on the choice of literature used for the preparation.

Smaller assignments during the excursions include a quiz and preparation of a short pitch for a research idea. These will not be graded.

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Processed student feedback

In previous years students have indicated that they would like more detailed instructions for the preparation of the student lectures. In response to this feedback we have now added a Q&A session in which any questions can be discussed and more detailed advice will be given.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. S. Wilken

Staff

• prof. dr. Jef Huisman
• dr. Fleur Visser
• dr. Arie Vonk
• prof. dr. C.P.D. Brussaard
• prof. dr. D.B. van de Waal