MSc in Marine Environmental Protection

Information

Funding is available for this course:

Research Project Bursaries from Environment Agency, Marine Aggregates Levy Fund and Countryside Council for Wales.

Introduction

The emergence of the Law of the Sea Convention and establishment of Exclusive Economic Zones has given coastal states extensive and comprehensive rights and obligations over marine resources in vast areas of ocean. Wise management of ocean resources is essential if the full economic potential of these new entitlements is to be realised. To ensure the continuing biological productivity of these areas, the level and type of development of activities such as waste dumping, mineral extraction, recreation, industrial and urban growth, fisheries and aquaculture, need to be controlled, and interactions of these often conflicting activities resolved by management.

Description

This MSc is a full-time one-year course, consisting of 9 months taught course and 3 months research project, and examined by continuous assessment. The course provides theoretical and practical training in measuring and quantifying marine resources and the effects of conflicting usage upon them. It provides a sound scientific basis on which to develop policy and make decisions on marine resource exploitation and protection around the world.

Course aims

To broaden the student's awareness of the economic potential of the ocean, to generate an understanding of the major marine biological resources and the physical processes controlling these resources, to provide theoretical and practical training in measuring and quantifying these resources and the effects of conflicting usage upon them, to enhance those skills necessary to manage effectively the sea area of national jurisdiction, and to produce graduates with appropriate experience for developing policy and making decisions on marine resources and other marine uses for their individual countries or regions. To date, most graduates have taken up employment in the field of marine environmental protection in the UK and abroad.

The course provides training addressing the following major themes:

Marine Ecology Skills
Marine Fisheries
Coastal Habitat Ecology and Survey
Marine Environmental Impacts and their Assessment
Marine Conservation and Coastal Zone Management
Research Project design and Planning
Research Project and Dissertation

The programme is achieved through a series of compulsory modules encompassing theory, practical, private study and practical research.

Module content

The broad areas covered in each module are outlined below. For more detail on what our current students are studying you can take a look at our online module information.

Marine Ecology Skills

Experimental and survey design
Statistical techniques
Ship work
Taxonomic Workshop
Marine benthos survey
Statistical analysis
Report writing

Marine Fisheries

Fisheries biology
Fisheries resources
Fisheries survey at sea
Population dynamics of fin fish

Coastal Habitat Ecology and Survey

Coastal habitat ecology
Survey techniques
Planning biological surveys
Risk assessment
Team field survey

Marine Environmental Impacts and their Assessment

Physical and chemical processes causing impacts
Development of the coastal zone
Environmental Impact Assessment
Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement
Consultant / Developer interviews
EIA public meeting

Marine Conservation and Coastal Zone Management

Environmental remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems
Coastal Zone Law
Socioeconomics
Biodiversity
Conservation
Sustainability
Integrated Coastal Zone Management
Coastal Zone Management Conference

Research Project Design and Planning

Literature review
Project proposal development
Scientific peer review

Research Project and Dissertation

Health and Safety
Practical research at home or overseas
20,000 word dissertation

Entry

Applicants are normally expected to have a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree for admission and to have a background in marine, environmental, zoological, or biological sciences, although we have accepted students with subjects as diverse as geography and mining engineering. We also accept mature applicants (age 25+) without formal qualifications, but with suitable relevant experience.

Career Destinations

Public Sector, e.g. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Waterways Board, County Councils, Fisheries Protection Committee, National Rivers Authority/Environment Agency, EEC Environmental Commission.
Private Sector, e.g. Aquatic consultancies specialising in survey and environmental impact assessment, aquaculture, oil industry, mining, instrument development, informatics and computing.
Voluntary organisations such as World Wide Fund for Nature, Greenpeace, Wildlife Trusts, RSPCA, Royal Geographical Society.
Higher Education and Research, e.g. Doctorate Research, Research Assistants, University Lecturing, British Antarctic Survey, Field Centre teaching assistants.
Overseas students return to comparable posts overseas.
UK students employed overseas in comparable posts.

Funding

Funding is available for eligible applicants. Please contact the School for details prior to application.

Contact

Dr Stuart Jenkins

Telephone

01248 382896

E-mail

oss406@bangor.ac.uk

Website

http://www.bangor.ac.uk/oceansciences/