Entry requirements

60 credits in biology including 1) The Evolution and Diversity of Organisms (15 credits), Ecology and Population Genetics (15 credits), and in addition, students must have taken Physiology (15 credits) or 2) Biology A: Patterns and Processes (22.5 credits) or Biology A: Patterns, Processes and Science Education (22.5 credits), and in addition, students must have taken Physiology (15 credits).

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• identify and name common macroscopic species from Swedish waters
• account for the distinctive features of the larger organism groups and classify marine organisms to group
• choose and use literature to identify marine organisms
• describe and characterise different marine biotopes
• discuss taxonomic bases and apply these within the framework of marine inventories
• choose appropriate collection techniques, carry out and present marine inventories as a report
• discuss the underlying factors (physical, biological, geographic and historical) that influence the biological diversity in marine environments
• identify and discuss ethical issues related to the use of marine resources.

Content

The course comprises studies of marine organism groups and environments with the emphasis on systematic and morphological diversity. It has a large practical part that focuses on the Swedish West Coast, even if the theoretical part does not have any geographic limitation. The course has the following parts:

• Basic knowledge for inventories; basic taxonomy, identification techniques, identification literature and reference collections
• Marine inventory methodology; techniques for collection and quantification of the composition and abundance of the organism groups in different marine environments, quantification of biological diversity, potential for sustainable use of marine bioresources
• Marine environments; presentation of different marine biotopes (e.g. shallow/deep hard/soft bottoms, coral reefs, pelagial, interstitial environments, hydrothermal vents) and their composition of organism groups.
• Marine organism groups; systematics and morphology of mainly animals, but also marine plants, macro algae, eukaryotic microbes, archaea, bacteria, different adaptations to marine environments and potential as possible bioresources. Specifically, organisms at the Swedish West Coast will be studied and identified

Instruction

The teaching is given in the form of lectures, practical exercises and laboratory sessions, computer exercises, literature assignments and field studies. In connection with these, study visits will be conducted. The course also comprises a project work. A large part of the course is carried out at a marine field station.

Assessment

The theory part is completed with a written examination (6 credits). The practical training (5 credits) have compulsory attendance with oral and written presentations and is examined by practical test(s). The project work (4 credits) is presented orally and in a written report.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.