Module Information

The aim of this module is, through a series of integrated lectures and practicals, to introduce students to the subject of Marine Biology. The module will cover a variety of different topics, however, the emphasis will be on oceanography, major marine ecosystems (i.e. deep sea, pelagic, rocky shore, sandy shore, estuaries etc), primary production and fisheries.

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1) demonstrate their knowledge of the processes which fashion the major oceans and seas
2) discuss the reasons for the stability of ocean systems and the ecological implications of change
3) provide a critical assessment of the factors which control productivity in coastal waters
4) evaluate the factors which determine the nature and distribution of the plant and animal communities of the deep sea, coasts and estuaries
5) explain the behaviour involved in habitat selection by invertebrate larvae.
6) demonstrate an awareness of the principles of fisheries exploitation, management and conservation, including the impacts environmental and demographic impacts of fishing in population dynamics
7) evaluate the principles of different aquaculture production systems and critically asses the role of aquaculture in world fisheries.

The module begins with a classification of the marine environment and an introduction to the major characteristics of the habitats to be studied. The main ocean current systems are described and discussed in relation to their importance in physical and biological oceanography with examples drawn from the Southern Ocean, the equatorial region and the North Atlantic.
The chemistry and composition of sea water is introduced with emphasis on sea water as a "biological environment" - salinity, nutrient profiles, nitrate and phosphate cycles, nutrient regeneration.
Lectures on tides and tidal theory stress the importance of the spring-neap tidal cycle and variability in the cycle. The tidal environment of the littoral zone is discussed in detail. The nature of waves is considered from the standpoint of their impact on the shore environment. Methods used to assess the impact of wave action on shore communities are reviewed.
Primary production and seasonal cycles of primary production in the oceans in relation to nutrients and physical controls are considered. Grazing and the interrelationships between zooplankton and phytoplankton are investigated. The behaviour of zooplankton is discussed and this section of the course concludes with an introduction to food chains and plankton and fisheries.
An introduction to deep-sea biology is given through a consideration of the conditions which prevail in the deep and the adaptations shown by the fauna. This will include a discussion of hydrothermal vents, seeps and oxygen minimum zones; origin of deep-sea fauna, biodiversity; exploitation of resources.
The study of intertidal ecology begins with lectures on rocky shores. The universal nature of shore zonation is considered through a study of the physical factors on the shore and interactions between organisms. Physical factors are studied in conjunction with investigations into the physiological ecology of some common shore organisms. Competition for space, feeding strategies and grazing, and reproductive strategies are studied in some of the major groups. The impact of exposure to wave action on shore zonation is explained and the value of exposure scales is reviewed. Comparisons are made between rocky shores and sedimentary shores and the importance of the physical characteristics of sediments is stressed, leading to a consideration of the classical concepts of bottom fauna community ecology. The estuarine environment is considered in detail - physical factors, communities of sand and mud flats, productivity, estuarine food webs.
Studies on intertidal ecology conclude with a consideration of the life-cycles of selected species with emphasis on substrate selection and behaviour at settlement.
The study of marine fisheries starts describing the biology and distribution of the main exploited species. The next lectures introduce different fishing methods and their impacts on population structure, as well as the consequences of selective fishing. Different aquaculture systems of production are considered. The role of aquaculture in alleviating fishing pressures on the sea and its impact on natural ecosystems are discussed.