Marine Biology

Course manual 2017/2018

Course content

A large part of the earth surface (more than 70%) consists of seas and oceans. Marine ecology is the branch of ecological science concerned with organisms that live in or near the sea and ocean, their behaviors, and their interactions with the environment. The course starts with a theoretical part on the physical, chemical and biological processes that are of key importance for the functioning of marine ecosystems. Furthermore, the effects of human impact on the functioning of marine ecosystems will be addressed.

Topics of the lectures include :

• Ocean formation;
• Physical and chemical properties of water; 
• Ocean circulation patterns;  
• Marine biogeochemistry;  
• Phytoplankton, nutrients and light; 
• Zooplankton; 
• Marine food webs; 
• Marine biogeography and biodiversity;  
• Remote sensing of oceans;  
• Fishes and biology of fisheries;
• The role of oceans in the carbon cycle and climate change.

In addition to these regular lectures, each student is challenged to give a lecture about a marine subject of their own choice.

There is a one-day excursion planned to the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ at Texel) to get acquainted with a Dutch marine institute.

The interpretation of satellite images and reflection spectra will be practiced in a remote sensing computer lab session.

For the fieldwork campaign we will travel to the field station Ramalhete from the University of the Algarve in Faro, Portugal, situated in the tidal area Ria Formosa. Each group of 5 students gets an assignment to explore a specific component of the ecosystem (e.g. plankton, seagrass, or macrofauna). With your group you will write a research proposal based on lectures and scientific literature. At the first day in Portugal you will present your research proposal, and then start your projects. Sampling in the Ria Formosa can be done in wading trousers at low tide, or by snorkeling. Simple experiments and measurements can be performed in the laboratory, in the area adjacent to the field station or in the field. If the weather permits, we will make a boat trip to get an overview of the surrounding area. The students will analyze their data, present the results and write a report.

Study materials

Literature

• Oceanography and Marine Biology by David W. Townsend, ISBN 9780878936021, in former years available through students’ union Congo.

Other

• Additional information will be put at the UvA-Blackboard site: http://blackboard.ic.uva.nl.

Objectives

At the end of the course, the student:

• can describe the biological, physical, and chemical interactions in marine 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).
• can combine information from different disciplines, like biological, chemical, and physical oceanography.
• can give a lecture based on a book chapter and a literature study.
• can interpret large scale oceanographic processes from satellite images and reflection spectra
• has insight in the dynamics of marine ecosystems through fieldwork in the tidal area of the Ria Formosa, Portugal.
• can design a research project 
• can present an experimental design in the form of a research proposal report and a presentation.
• can carry out a research project.
• can (statistically) analyse the data of his/her research
• can interpret his/her research results and put them in a broader ecological context.
• can present his/her research results in the form of a scientific article and a presentation.
• has developed communication skills by working and functioning in a group.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Seminar
• Fieldwork/excursion
• Presentation/symposium
• Self-study
• Supervision/feedback meeting
• Laptop seminar
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

The first 4 weeks the course consists of lectures, a day-excursion to the NIOZ, a laptop seminar, and a literature study. Results of the literature study are presented in the form of a lecture.

The last 4 weeks is the practical part of the course: writing and presenting a research proposal, carrying out a fieldwork campaign, data analysis, presentation of results and finally writing of a scientific report.

Learning activities

Academic skills

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):

• Participation in all practical (computer) sessions, field work and seminars in the curriculum is obligatory.
  

Additional requirements for this course:

Participation in the excursion to NIOZ is obligatory.

Assessment

The exam material consists of the contents of the lectures, the corresponding book chapters, the laptop seminar, and the student lectures.

Inspection of assessed work

Contact the course coordinator to make an appointment for inspection.

Assignments

student lecture

• give a lecture about a marine-ecological topic based on a textbook chapter and scientific literature in a group of 2-3 students, feedback by peers and teachers, graded by teachers

laptop seminar

• interpret satellite and reflection spectra images in a remote sensing laptop seminar individually, feedback by supervisors

research proposal report

• describe research question and experimental design of research in a report in a group of 5 students, feedback and
  grading by supervisors

research proposal presentation

• present research question and experimental design of research in a group of 5 students, feedback and grading by
  supervisors

presentation research results

• present results of research in a group of 5 students, feedback and grading by supervisors

research report

• present results of research as a scientific report in a group of 5 student, feedback and grading by supervisor

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.uva.nl/plagiarism

Course structure

Timetable

Het rooster van dit vak is in te zien op DataNose.

Additional information

Maximum of 25 students.

Students are requested to contribute to the costs of the flight to and accommodation in Portugal. Payment of this contribution has to be done at the Servicedesk of the ESC. The ESC will book the flight and arrange accommodation. Therefore, if a student does not pay the contribution in time, this student will be denied access to the fieldwork in Portugal. In addition, students are expected to pay their own food whilst being in Portugal.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. Jolanda Verspagen