| CODE | LAS1108 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Mediterranean and Arctic Issues: Understanding Marine Processes in these Two Regions | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | I - Introductory Level | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Introduction to concepts of oceanography and marine ecosystems through the contrasting Arctic and Mediterranean seas. This Unit will introduce participants to the world of marine biology and oceanography, focusing on two uniquely contrasting marine environments—the Arctic and the Mediterranean. These two seas have one important thing in common – they are both warming up at a faster rate than the rest of the world. The students will learn about the fundamental processes of ocean currents, ecosystems, marine life, and the significant impact of climate change. In each session we will discuss a different topic related to the ocean and understand it through examples from the Arctic and Mediterranean. The Unit will be designed with students’ enjoyment and curiosity in mind where questions and discussions are encouraged. At the end, the students will make a 15-minute presentation showcasing their understanding of a marine topic of their choosing. Session 1 – The atmosphere and ocean Session 2 – The ocean’s role in controlling climate Session 3 – Ocean circulation and tides Session 4 - Climate change Session 5 – Marine pollution Session 6 – Marine food webs Session 7 – Primary producers, zooplankton, and nutrient cycles Session 8 – Benthic organisms and deep-water ecosystems Session 9 - Fish, fisheries, and pelagic communities Session 10 – Marine apex predators Session 11 – The coast: beaches and shoreline processes Session 12 – Marine dispersal and alien species Session 13 – How do scientists know all this? Methods and instruments for oceanography and marine biology Session 14 – Presentations by students and discussion Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - Describe the connection between ocean processes and global climate, using basic terminology and examples; - Identify the fundamental principles of physical oceanography and marine ecology, and outline basic methods used to study them; - List and describe the major threats to marine life, including examples of causes; - Compare key oceanographic features of the Arctic and Mediterranean seas, highlighting their main differences. 2. Skills: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - Describe how extreme climate-change-related events relate to global atmospheric and marine systems, using examples to illustrate these connections; - Explain the interconnectivity within food webs and ecosystems, using diagrams or simple models where appropriate; - Identify and illustrate the main nutrient cycles in marine environments and describe how human activities can alter these cycles; - List and evaluate evidence-based actions individuals can take to help conserve marine ecosystems and explain the limitations of individual actions compared to the need for collective action. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Pinet, Paul R. Invitation to Oceanography. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2019. - McIntyre, A. D., ed. Life in the World’s Oceans: Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. Print. Supplementary Readings: - Beiras, Ricardo. Marine Pollution: Sources, Fate and Effects of Pollutants in Coastal Ecosystems. Elsevier, 2018. Print. - Croitoru, Lelia et al. The Cost of Environmental Degradation: Case Studies from the Middle East and North Africa. 1st ed. Herndon: World Bank, 2010. Web. - Hovland, Martin. Deep-Water Coral Reefs: Unique Biodiversity Hot-Spots. 1. Aufl. Dordrecht: Springer-Verlag, 2008. Web. - Glaeser, Georg, and Daniel Abed-Navandi. Ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea: A Photographic Dive. 1st ed. 2023. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2023. Web. - Goriup, Paul D. Management of Marine Protected Areas: A Network Perspective. 1st ed. Somerset: Wiley-Blackwell, 2017. Web. - Karleskint, George, Richard Turner, and James W Small. Introduction to Marine Biology. 2nd ed. Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2006. Print. - Lalli, Carol M, and Timothy Richard Parsons. Biological Oceanography: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Butterworth-Heinemann, 1997. Print. - Miller, Charles B. Biological Oceanography. Blackwell, 2004. Print. - Mohamed Hichem Kara, Jean-Pierre Quignard. Fishes in Lagoons and Estuaries in the Mediterranean 1: Diversity, Bioecology and Exploitation. 1st ed. Newark: Wiley, 2018. Web. - Morrissey, John F, and James L Sumich. Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life. 9th ed. Jones and Bartlett, 2009. Print. - Reynaud, Emmanuel G. Imaging Marine Life: Macrophotography and Microscopy Approaches for Marine Biology. 1st ed. Newark: Wiley, 2013. Web. Other supplementary readings: - Hardt, Marah J. Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Connection with Sex-Changing Fish, Romantic Lobsters, Kinky Squid, and Other Salty Erotica of the Deep. St. Martin's Press, 2016. - Karban, Richard, Mikaela Huntzinger, and Ian S. Pearse. How to Do Ecology: A Concise Handbook - Third Edition. Princeton University Press, 2023. - McClintock, James. Lost Antarctica: Adventures in a Disappearing Land. St. Martin's Griffin, 2014. - Miracosta College. Oceanography 101. LibreTexts. Available at: https://batch.libretexts.org/print/Letter/Finished/geo-9666/Full.pdf. - Stern, Gary, Ashley Gaden. From Science to Policy in the Western and Central Canadian Arctic. An integrated regional impact study (IRIS) of climate change and modernization. ArcticNet, 2015. Available at: https://rb.gy/824c5e. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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