Marine Ecosystem Management MSc

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2018–2019 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2019 entry.

Semester 1

During Semester 1 students follow a coherent course of modules that provide sound training in essential skills for the management of marine ecosystems. The first semester combines two compulsory modules with a choice of one of four further optional modules.

• Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: provides core biological and methodological classes covering marine biodiversity and ecosystem function, their importance and evaluation; module involves local boat-based data collection and analysis.
• Mathematical and statistical modelling for Biologists: applies mathematical ideas to questions in biology, introduces methods for fitting models to biological data mainly using R software.

In addition, students choose one optional module from the following:

• Biological Oceanography: provides instruction on the fundamentals of biological oceanography, including physical and geochemical principles as they apply to biological oceanography.
• Environmental Drivers of Marine Habitats: gives an overview of the different environmental drivers of marine ecosystems, including shorter-term processes in the ocean and atmosphere, as well as climatic processes that define marine habitats.
• Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Management: provides an introduction to GIS and its use in environmental problem solving.
• Tropical Marine Biology: examines the ecological and biological principles underpinning the major tropical marine ecosystems. The module provides an understanding of the ecological processes that control tropical marine ecosystems.

Semester 2 combines one compulsory module with a choice of three optional modules.

The following module is compulsory:

• Ecosystem-based Management of Marine Systems: introduces the concept of 'Ecosystem-based management', exploring its development from more simplistic, single-species approaches.
  

Students choose three optional modules from the following:

• Current Issues in Biologging: presents an introduction to the theory and practice of logging and relaying physical and biological data using animal-attached tags.
• Estimating Animal Abundance: introduces the main types of survey method for wildlife populations, taught by CREEM and the School of Mathematics and Statistics.
• Fisheries Research: provides an introduction to the utilisation of fish stocks in a sustainable way.
• Introduction to Global Environmental Change: provides students with the scientific background to past, present and future climate change and its consequences, globally, taught by the School of Geography and Sustainable Development.
• Population Biology: reviews the fundamental concepts of population dynamics and how these are interpreted in the light of the various life-history strategies adapted by different species of marine mammals.
• Predator Ecology in Polar Ecosystems: field course located in southern Argentina and Antarctica (requires payment of expedition fee).
• Science Communication of Biodiversity and Conservation: focuses on the scientific problems associated with the conservation and sustainable use of animals and plants, and on the way in which scientific advice on these issues is provided.
• Scientific Diving: field course located in Indonesia (requires suitable diving qualifications and payment of expedition fee).

Throughout the academic year, students complete a research project which will culminate in a 15,000-word dissertation and the presentation of a poster at the MSc student conference. Projects may involve some fieldwork but will be primarily focused on the analysis of existing data. Students can choose from a range of projects suggested by supervisors and also take an active role in designing their own project plan.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MSc, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MSc.