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Location Domestic International
Lismore Session 2 Session 2
Online Session 2 N/A

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Advanced

Former School/College

Former School of Environment, Science and Engineering

Pre-requisites

BIO00232 - Coastal Marine Ecosystems AND MAT00211 - Environmental Information Analysis

Unit aim

Examines the biology and ecology of marine and freshwater fish and invertebrate species important to commercial and recreational fisheries, emphasising the Australian scene. Introduces the topics of fisheries management and aquaculture management by focusing on the aspects of the species’ biology that are relevant to their exploitation including taxonomy, anatomy, ecomorphology, feeding, reproduction, age and growth, conservation biology and habitat management.

Unit content

Introduction to global and Australian fisheries
General anatomy and taxonomy of fish, and commercially exploited invertebrates
Nutrition and feeding of fishes
Age and growth
Reproduction, spawning and recruitment of fishes
Ecological effects of fishing
Fish population demographics and fishery production
Laboratory and field techniques for fisheries data collection
Introduction to fisheries management models
Freshwater fish biology and conservation

Learning outcomes

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.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 demonstrate basic knowledge of the biology (taxonomy, physiology, anatomy and habitat needs) of representative fish, sharks, crustaceans and molluscs
2 describe some of the basic techniques used in fishery management to monitor population size, age, growth, nutrition, spawning, recruitment and mortality of various species
3 identify and apply the data collection and processing techniques required including survey techniques, laboratory processing, measurement and identification procedures
4 explain how a knowledge of the biology of target species is crucial to the effective management and monitoring of exploited natural populations
5 explain the basic demographic principles behind management strategies of maximising sustainable yield, maximising recruitment and maximising yield per recruit of fish and invertebrate stocks.

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

  1. demonstrate basic knowledge of the biology (taxonomy, physiology, anatomy and habitat needs) of representative fish, sharks, crustaceans and molluscs
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  2. describe some of the basic techniques used in fishery management to monitor population size, age, growth, nutrition, spawning, recruitment and mortality of various species
    • GA1:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
  3. identify and apply the data collection and processing techniques required including survey techniques, laboratory processing, measurement and identification procedures
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  4. explain how a knowledge of the biology of target species is crucial to the effective management and monitoring of exploited natural populations
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  5. explain the basic demographic principles behind management strategies of maximising sustainable yield, maximising recruitment and maximising yield per recruit of fish and invertebrate stocks.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:

Prescribed texts

  • King, M, 2007, Fisheries Biology, Assessment and Management, 2nd edn, Blackwell Scientific, Oxford. ISBN: 978-1-4051-5831-2.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.