Marine Ecology

The course is available for students at the study program Bachelor in Biology and exchange students at a biology study program.

The course is limited to maximum 36 students due to limited capacity on the boat.

Priority if full:

1. Students at the bachelor in Biology program at UiT

2. Biology students on an Erasmus+ exchange

3. Biology students from other exchange programs

Students are encouraged to also take BIO-2516 Ocean Climate and BIO-2513 Marin biodiversitet (Please note! Norwegian taught course).

This course is an introduction to the marine ecosystems in northern and Arctic areas. We study the influence of physical parameters, currents and topography on populations of pelagic and benthic organisms, as well as biological interactions between them. We discuss the factors that trigger the vernal bloom and initiate feeding, reproduction and dispersion in the pelagic realm, and the fate of this biomass in the ecosystem. Students will work in groups to prepare oral presentations about selected topics. A short research cruise will give the students practice in collecting and analyzing with samples of plankton, benthos and fish, work in groups and organize work under guidance. Students will prepare a written report describing the cruise sampling and results.

After having completed the course, students will be able to

Knowledge

• explain how the physical environment affects marine organisms and communities, including dispersal and zonation of populations, and climate effects.
• describe the differences between estuarine, coastal and oceanic biotopes
• compare the general features of the classical marine food chain and the microbial loop
• discuss the importance of seasonal variations and the consequences for life cycles in pelagic populations
• describe processes that link pelagic and benthic environments
• give examples of how human activities may impact marine habitats
• discuss threats (e.g. ocean acidification, fishing, climate change and invasive species) and solutions to sustainability of marine ecosystems.

Skills

• Use common field sampling gear and standard lab equipment for the investigation of different types of marine organisms
• Choose appropriate methods for simple investigations of marine organisms and biotopes
• Estimate abundance and biomass of pelagic and benthic organisms
• Interpret diagrams from a CTD-instrument and explain what this means for marine organisms
• Interpret and produce scientific graphs

General competence

• work independently and in collaboration with the processing of marine scientific samples and data
• to collect and summarize scientific information from articles and web sources
• present scientific results in written and oral form

Recommended prerequisites

BIO-1007 Quantitative Methods, BIO-1103 Botany, BIO-1104 Zoology, BIO-2017 Ecology

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-2514 Marine ecology 10 ects
• BIO-1501 Aquatic Ecology 5 ects

Language of instruction and examination

This course is available for inbound exchange students at a biology studyprogram.

This course has academic prerequisites. It is a requirement that students have a background of a minimum 10 ECTS in ecology, 15 ECTS in zoology and botany and 5 ECTS in statistics.

Do you have questions about this module? Please check the following website to contact the course coordinator for exchange students at the faculty: https://en.uit.no/education/art?p_document_id=510412

More info about the coursework requirements

Re-sit examination