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Unit of Study BIO03097 - Marine Communities as Sentinels of Change (2017)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    Offered only at the National Marine Science Centre in a three-week intensive mode, which includes a compulsory one week residential held outside normal residential weeks.

Unit description

Critically evaluates patterns and processes in a range of  marine communities and applies this knowledge to concepts of marine management.  Develops advanced understanding of ecological structure and function, links between communities, and their responses to natural and human-induced disturbances. Theoretical aspects are reinforced through a series of field activities that foster practical knowledge of key community types.

Unit content

The schedule of topics is spread between lectures, field studies, workshops and laboratory classes:

Topic 1: Principles of community ecology
Topic 2: Communities of rocky shores
Topic 3: Communities of subtidal reefs
Topic 4: Aspects of functional ecology
Topic 5: Communities as sentinels of change (case studies)

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour Session 1 Session 1

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 Develop advanced understanding of the ecology of marine habitats
2 Apply ecological principles to critically evaluate primary biotic and abiotic processes affecting marine organisms in different habitats
3 Demonstrate advanced knowledge about the suitability of different communities for monitoring environmental condition
4 Synthesise available information to demonstrate advanced understanding of processes affecting global biodiversity

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

  1. Develop advanced understanding of the ecology of marine habitats
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  2. Apply ecological principles to critically evaluate primary biotic and abiotic processes affecting marine organisms in different habitats
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  3. Demonstrate advanced knowledge about the suitability of different communities for monitoring environmental condition
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
  4. Synthesise available information to demonstrate advanced understanding of processes affecting global biodiversity
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.