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National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour Session 1 Session 1

Unit Summary

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

9

Level of learning

Introductory

Former School/College

Former School of Environment, Science and Engineering

Pre-requisites

192 Credit Points in any SCU units

Anti-requisites

BIO10120 - Marine Systems Science and Management

Unit aim

Examines processes and issues, and integrates principles of natural science and legislation as they relate to the global marine environment. Covers the complex coupling and feedback mechanisms linking the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and the biosphere, and provides insights into international and national marine resource management.

Unit content

Topic 1: Ocean basins and ocean chemistry 
Topic 2: Ocean circulations 
Topic 3: Waves and tides 
Topic 4: Deep-sea environments 
Topic 5: Early life histories of marine invertebrates and fishes 
Topic 6: Marine chemical ecology: the language of life in the sea 
Topic 7: Human uses of marine systems 
Topic 8: Introduction to marine resources management 
Topic 9: Marine management systems

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 a comprehensive understanding of the nature and history of the major oceans
2 explain the unusual nature of water and how it affects the oceans and climatic systems of the planet
3 provide a detailed explanation of the nature and operation of currents, waves and tides in coastal and oceanic waters
4 recognise the ways in which we use the marine environment and describe how those uses may interact with natural processes
5 understand what resource management is, and be able to critically evaluate what it does, and how it tries to do it
6 write a high quality scientific report that incorporates statistical analysis of data, follows the instructions to authors for a peer-reviewed journal, and uses Endnote for referencing.

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

  1. demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the nature and history of the major oceans
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  2. explain the unusual nature of water and how it affects the oceans and climatic systems of the planet
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  3. provide a detailed explanation of the nature and operation of currents, waves and tides in coastal and oceanic waters
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  4. recognise the ways in which we use the marine environment and describe how those uses may interact with natural processes
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  5. understand what resource management is, and be able to critically evaluate what it does, and how it tries to do it
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
  6. write a high quality scientific report that incorporates statistical analysis of data, follows the instructions to authors for a peer-reviewed journal, and uses Endnote for referencing.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:

Prescribed texts

  • This book is the prescribed textbook for this and other units that are run at the NMSC. It can be purchased from the Co-op Bookshp in both Lismore and Coffs Harbour, and there are limited copies available for loan from the Lismore and NMSC libraries: Connell, SD & Gillanders, BM , 2007, Marine Ecology, Oxford University Press, Australia.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.