BIO414 Pelagic Ecology
- ECTS Credits:
- 10
- Responsible department:
- Faculty of Engineering and Science
- Course Leader:
- Tove Margrethe Gabrielsen
- Lecture Semester:
- Spring
- Teaching language:
- Norwegian or English
- Duration:
- 1 term
The course is connected to the following study programs
Teaching language
Norwegian or EnglishCourse contents
The course provides a thorough introduction to temperate coastal marine pelagic ecosystems. The course will give more specialized insights into organisms and ecological interactions of the pelagic realm of the North Atlantic focusing on the Skagerrak/North Sea regions. Mechanisms affecting abundance, seasonality and distribution of plankton and nekton in relation to the variability of oceanographic parameters will be discussed. Factors affecting survival, dispersal and distribution of fish during early life history stages will be detailed in relation to environmental variation and human activities.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, the students will
• Understand the ecological interactions characteristic of the pelagic realm of the North Atlantic and be able to describe the dominant organisms of this system
• be able to discuss how physical and chemical drivers affect the ecosystem over time and space
• be able to compare pelagic ecosystems of different biogeographic regions
• have acquired knowledge of the diversity of fish life forms, and how these relate to the spatial and temporal dynamics of fish populations
• use reasoning to address ecological aspects of fish population dynamics, particularly during early life history stages
• be able to identify dominant pelagic organisms along the Agder coastline
• be able to formulate hypotheses and design studies to investigate questions related to pelagic ecology
• be able to write pertinent research proposals addressing ecological aspects plankton and fish population dynamics in relation to environmental variability
• have gained essential knowledge to design and perform marine sample surveys on pelagic marine communities to address scientific questions of pelagic ecology
• have acquired practical skills to collect, store and process marine organisms for downstream analyses
Examination requirements
Compulsory learning activities include field excursions and laboratory work.
Teaching methods
The course will use a combination of lectures, seminars, field work, laboratory work and group project work. The course will start with lectures and seminars/discussions to introduce students to relevant topics including the field project. 3-5 days will be spent in the field to sample material and data for student projects.
Estimated workload for the average student is 270 hours.
Evaluation
The course runs over 6 weeks and will have an end of course evaluation.
Offered as Single Standing Module
Yes, if there are places available.
Assessment methods and criteria
The evaluation for the course will be based on a written individual research proposal (40%), a 1,5 hour multiple choice exam (30%) and a field report prepared as group work (30%). For the group report, the group as a whole is graded. The course is graded by letters (A-F).
Reduction of Credits
This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:
| Course | Reduction of Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO404 – Fisheries Oceanography | 5 |