Postgraduate Course: The Marine Environment (BIME11020)

Course Outline
School	Deanery of Biomedical Sciences	College	College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)	SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate)	Availability	Not available to visiting students
SCQF Credits	10	ECTS Credits	5
Summary	The marine environment encompasses a vast array of unique ecosystems, extending from coastal regions to deep oceans and includes some of the most threatened habitats, particularly the world's coral reefs. Man's link with the marine environment is historically very strong and this course will investigate the resulting threats to its sustainability with increasing human demands. In particular, the issues of nonsustainable fishing, pollution, translocation of invasive non-native species and the possible effects of climate change.
Course description	There is increasing interest in marine health as we rely more and more on its goods and services to support an ever-growing population. This is only possible with a full appreciation of marine biodiversity, ecosystem function and the potential consequences of continued human pressures. This course explores whether we can use similar strategies as on land to better manage and govern the marine environment. This course introduces some general marine ecosystem contexts from coastal environments to deep sea ecology before looking at people¿s relationship with marine environments and the sea as an industry base and source of food. The effects of pollution are explored, with a particular emphasis on noise, and we finish with an investigation of the relationship between oceans and climate change.

Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites		Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations		Other requirements	None

Course Delivery Information

Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Flexible
Course Start Date	08/08/2022
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 10, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Online Activities 25, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 53 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Formal summative written assessment will constitute 60% of the student's grade. Online assessment will incorporate a variety of activities will constitute 40% of their overall course grade and is taken to represent a formative assessment of learning throughout the programme.
Feedback	Summative assessment consists of a written element, worth 60% of the total mark, and an online element worth 40%. In both cases, comprehensive written feedback is provided individually with 15 working days of the assessment deadline. Students are expected to reflect on their feedback, to seek additional clarification if appropriate, and to use this to improve on future assignments of a similar nature.
No Exam Information

Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)		Quota: None
Course Start	Block 5 (Sem 2) and beyond
Course Start Date	22/05/2023
Timetable	Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info)	Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 10, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10, Online Activities 25, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 53 )
Assessment (Further Info)	Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment)	Formal summative written assessment will constitute 60% of the student's grade. Online assessment will incorporate a variety of activities will constitute 40% of their overall course grade and is taken to represent a formative assessment of learning throughout the programme.
Feedback	Summative assessment consists of a written element, worth 60% of the total mark, and an online element worth 40%. In both cases, comprehensive written feedback is provided individually with 15 working days of the assessment deadline. Students are expected to reflect on their feedback, to seek additional clarification if appropriate, and to use this to improve on future assignments of a similar nature.
No Exam Information

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to: Incorporate and apply the historical context of man's links with the marine environment to reach a deep understanding of our current relationship with coastal and deep-sea ecosystems. Synthesise findings from a wide range of resources to critically assess the relative threats from a range of drivers to marine species and ecosystems around the world, and to speculate specifically on the likely impacts of ongoing climate change. Critically appraise the effectiveness of protection and management strategies currently employed to safeguard the future of marine species and ecosystems.

Reading List
Crain, Halpern, Beck et al. (2009). Understanding and managing human threats to the coastal marine environment. The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci 1162; 39-62.

Additional Information
Course URL	http://www.web.mvm.ed.ac.uk/
Graduate Attributes and Skills	This course encourages the effective sourcing and use of evidence in presenting case material and/or developing credible position statements.
Keywords	Not entered