Module Information

Module Identifier
BR37520
Module Title
Practical Aquatic Conservation
Academic Year
2026/2027
Co-ordinator
Dr Guilherme A. Bortolotto
Semester
Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)
Reading List
View example reading list on Aspire
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Report  2000 Words  50%
Semester Assessment Professional skills portfolio  2000 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Report  2000 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Professional skills portfolio  2000 Words  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Analyse and discuss in detail the advantages and disadvantages of a range of techniques used to sample shallow-water environments and organisms.

Apply field guides and identification keys to identify a range of organisms commonly found in marine and freshwater environments.

Plan, execute and report monitoring programs for shallow-water environments to produce information useful to promote conservation of aquatic habitats and organisms.

Brief description

In this module you will be introduced to the field of Practical Aquatic Conservation. It will allow you to gain practical experience on the most common techniques used to monitor and research shallow-water environments, to generate information useful for conservation. Practical skills involving boat-based fieldwork, and marine and freshwater species sampling will serve as the foundation to develop other important professional skills such as report writing.

Content

The module will be delivered through seminars, workshops and fieldwork (including boat-based). As an applied module the lectures will focus on techniques used to promote aquatic conservation, as well as how professional biologists plan, execute and report their findings.
This module will make use of the DLS research vessel. During fieldwork sessions, students will get the opportunity to employ a range of techniques used for sampling shallow-water environments, such as line transect surveys, box coring, beam trawls, Van Dorn water sampling, habitat mapping, baited remote underwater video, etc.
NOTE: boat-based fieldwork is dependent on adequate weather and tides. Therefore, if fieldwork sessions have to be cancelled, alternatives, such as intertidal sampling, will be considered.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number The biological/chemical data collected will be analysed quantitatively using a variety of univariate and multivariate techniques.
Communication These are target skills for this module. The course is specifically designed to encourage communication, critical thinking, and literacy in a ‘job relevant’ manner. Students will also need to demonstrate good communication during the field week as they will be working in groups to collect the data.
Information Technology Students will build competence and confidence with standard data handling and graphing tools as well as using the internet and other IT resources for assignments.
Personal Development and Career planning This is a central aim of the module. Students will develop a range of skills that are attractive to employers in academia, environmental agencies, consultancies and eNGO’s.
Problem solving Through all the coursework students will be challenged to identify and solve complex problems-assessed through semester assessments.
Research skills For the seminars students will have assigned reading from the primary scientific literature and applied ‘grey literature’. In particular the students will have to use a broad range of sources for the portfolio, tender and contract report assessments.
Subject Specific Skills Students will gain familiarity with a number of sampling techniques used to sample shallow-water environments.
Team work During the seminars and field week students will be working in teams to collect their data in an effective manner.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6