autumn 2020
BIO-3009 Arctic Marine Pollution - 10 ECTS

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Application deadline

Concerns only admission to singular courses: Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester. Exchange students and Fulbright students: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.

Type of course

Master course for biology students - principally aimed at MSc-students specializing in Marine Ecology and Resource Biology. The course is available as a singular course.

Admission requirements

Local admission, application code 9371 - - Master`s level singular course. Admission requires a Bachelor`s degree (180 ECTS) or equivalent qualification, with a major in biology of minimum 80 ECTS.

Course overlap

If you pass the examination in this course, you will get an reduction in credits (as stated below), if you previously have passed the following courses:

BIO-3001 Anthropogenic pollution and environmental impact in marine Arctic environments I 10 stp
BIO-8015 Arctic Marine Pollution 10 stp

Course content

The course focuses on marine pollution issues in the Arctic ecosystems. It builds upon principles of ecotoxicology (contaminant sources, transport, uptake by organisms, effects). Classes of pollutants of concern in Arctic environments as well as other man made impacts (eutrophication, acidification, aquaculture). Pollutants are introduced along with their presence/effects in Arctic environments and in relation to climate change impacts and environmental management.  

Objectives of the course

Students who have completed this course will be able to:

Knowledge:

  • describe the specificity of Arctic ecosystems.
  • know the main types of pollution (persistent organic pollutants, microplastics, radioactivity, heavy metals and hydrocarbons) and explain their occurrence/transport in the Arctic.
  • understand the accumulation of contaminants in biota, their trophic transfer and biotransformation.
  • describe the effects of pollutants at the individual (physiology), population and ecosystem levels.
  • have an understanding of environmental monitoring of pollutants, risk assessment and environmental management in Arctic regions.
  • have a basic knowledge of climate change, ocean acidification, impacts of aquaculture.

Skills:

  • search for relevant scientific literature
  • read scientific publications critically
  • write an abstract
  • implement relevant study designs in ecotoxicology

General competence:

  • have a holistic understanding of marine pollution issues in Arctic environments.
  • utilize scientific literature to identify information needed to understand, interpret and critically evaluate ecotoxicology-related data
  • demonstrate an understanding of legal, regulatory, and ethical considerations relating to ecotoxicology within the broader societal context.
  • develop their scientific writing skills
  • communicate clearly and concisely their knowledge concerning the fundamentals in the basic areas of Arctic marine ecotoxicology.  

Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

Lectures (40h) and seminars (20h)

Assessment

Oral exam. A graded scale of five marks from A to E for pass and F for fail.

Re-sit exam

There will be a re-sit examination for students that did not pass the previous ordinary examination.

  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: BIO-3009