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Unit Summary
Unit type
PG Coursework Unit
Credit points
12
AQF level
Level of learning
Intermediate
Former School/College
Anti-requisites
have previously completed GLY00232 - Coastal Biogeochemistry
Unit aim
Students will learn:
- To identify and interpret the biogeochemical processes that operate in coastal waters, including mangroves, coral reefs, estuaries, seagrass beds, and embayments.
- Current procedures for planning and conducting environmental sampling and monitoring programs for quantifying coastal biogeochemical processes.
- Modern analytical techniques that are part of biogeochemical monitoring and research in coastal waters.
- To critically analyse, synthesise, and interpret a complex biogeochemical dataset.
- Produce a technical and/or scientific report with a plain English summary.
Unit content
Topic 1: Material loadings to coastal ecosystems
Topic 2: Estuarine hydrography, mixing, and residence times
Topic 3: Phytoplankton and primary productivity
Topic 4: Sediment biogeochemistry
Topic 5: Biogeochemical cycles in coastal waters
Topic 6: Greenhouse gas sources and sinks
Topic 7: Climate change and coastal acidification
Topic 8: Human impacts on biogeochemical cycles
Topic 9: Isotopes and biomarkers as tracers of biogeochemical processes
Topic 10: Measuring biogeochemical processes
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.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Critically analyse how physical, geological, chemical and biological processes (biogeochemistry) interact to control the fate and effect of material on the metabolism of coastal ecosystems | |||||||
| 2 | Evaluate the strengths and limitations of techniques used to measure biogeochemical processes in coastal waters | |||||||
| 3 | Critically assess appropriate methods for sample collection, handling, preservation and storage procedures for sediment, water and biogeochemical samples. | |||||||
| 4 | Identify a range of modern analytical instrumentation and be able to understand the advantages and limitations of various techniques | |||||||
| 5 | Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse, synthesize and interpret a complex biogeochemical data set to produce a technical and scientific report | |||||||
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
-
Critically analyse how physical, geological, chemical and biological processes (biogeochemistry) interact to control the fate and effect of material on the metabolism of coastal ecosystems
- GA1:
- GA4:
-
Evaluate the strengths and limitations of techniques used to measure biogeochemical processes in coastal waters
- GA4:
-
Critically assess appropriate methods for sample collection, handling, preservation and storage procedures for sediment, water and biogeochemical samples.
- GA4:
-
Identify a range of modern analytical instrumentation and be able to understand the advantages and limitations of various techniques
- GA4:
-
Demonstrate the ability to critically analyse, synthesize and interpret a complex biogeochemical data set to produce a technical and scientific report
- GA1:
- GA4:
- GA5:
Prescribed texts
- No prescribed texts.