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Unit of Study BIO00232 - Coastal Marine Ecosystems (2015)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Pre-requisites

    have foundation knowledge of plant and animal taxonomy (Domain, Kingdom and major phyla), use of taxonomic keys, major biological processes (productivity, trophic relationships, population dynamics), chemical equation writing, scientific report structure, basic statistical tests and computing skills. These are assumed knowledge obtained from the following introductory level units or equivalent experience.
    BIO00201 - Biology
    BIO00202 - Ecology
    CHE00201 - Chemistry
    MAT00211 - Environmental Information Analysis

  • Anti-requisites

    BIO01203 Marine Biology

  • Enrolment information

    Students enrolled in this unit through distance education are required to attend a compulsory residential workshop at the Lismore campus. Please refer to the residential timetable which can be found on the Environmental Science Student Centre in MySCU

Unit description

Introduces students to the major types of coastal marine habitat, from estuaries, intertidal shores, rocky and coral reefs, to show their basic structure and the processes that maintain them as recognisable entities. In addition, this unit builds on the basic knowledge acquired in the Biology and Ecology units of the first year to survey the major groups of marine animals and plants and show their roles in the maintenance of marine habitats. The practical work includes field trips to mangroves, seagrass, rocky shore and sediment habitats. It includes boat work to sample plankton and benthos.

Unit content

The following topics will be covered by the study guide, textbook and Internet readings and lectures and are assessed by two online quizzes and a final exam: 
Topic 1: Global ocean systems and Australian marine biogeography 
Topic 2: Estuarine habitats including seagrasses, mangroves and saltmarshes 
Topic 3: The pelagic environment: plankton, fish and other nekton 
Topic 4: Sedimentary habitats 
Topic 5: Rocky habitats 
Topic 6: Coral reefs
 
The following marine taxonomy topics are for self-directed study and are covered by the Practical Handbook, supported by recommended reference books and on-line resources. They will be assessed in the online quizzes and final exam and reinforced by field exercises: - polychaetes and other worms - molluscs - crustaceans - echinoderms - cnidarians and ctenophores - sessile phyla: sponges, ascidians and bryozoans - marine Plants: macroalgae, mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrasses. All students will be expected to contribute to a group seminar presentation on a marine species of concern to Australian marine resource managers. Field trips - Plankton collection, Richmond River - Estuarine habitats, Mobbs Bay, Ballina - Subtidal benthos sampling, Ballina - Open coast rocky shore zonation.

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore Session 1 Session 1
Online Session 1 N/A

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 identify the major taxa of marine organisms and recognise local examples
2 demonstrate an understanding of the basic organisation and function of the major coastal marine habitats and communities and relate this to issues in marine resource management
3 plan and conduct sampling programs of marine organisms in a variety of habitats and to present their findings in a variety of formats.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. identify the major taxa of marine organisms and recognise local examples
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  2. demonstrate an understanding of the basic organisation and function of the major coastal marine habitats and communities and relate this to issues in marine resource management
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  3. plan and conduct sampling programs of marine organisms in a variety of habitats and to present their findings in a variety of formats.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.