Module OSX-3001:
Marine Conservation and Exploitation

Module Facts

Run by School of Ocean Sciences

20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 2

Organiser: Prof John Turner

Overall aims and purpose

This module examines the exploitation of living marine resources and marine biological approaches to conservation, covering marine biodiversity, critical habitats and environmental threats, fisheries exploitation and its effects on target species and ecosystems, coastal zone management and marine protected areas, aquaculture and stock enhancement.

The module aims to provide clear understanding of the need for marine biological conservation and sustainable development; evaluates threats to species, habitats and ecosystem processes; critically evaluates the effectiveness of techniques and tools of protection; reviews the process of fishing and current trends in fisheries globally; evaluates the effects of fishing on target species and at the ecosystem level; evaluates approaches to fish stock management and conflicts between exploitation and conservation; introduces aquaculture as an approach marine food production covering general principles, farming of major species groups, environmental and sustainability issues.

Course content

The course will address methods of natural resource assessment, and techniques and tools for protection and management of living marine resource exploitation. Marine biological diversity will be defined, and impacts and threats assessed, identifying the need to protect species, ecological processes and critical habitats. The limits of environmental degradation and rehabilitation will be explored. Conservation methods developed for terrestrial diversity do not extend into the marine environment, and differences in approach will be considered. The effectiveness of tools such as zoning, legislation, environmental impact assessment, and Marine Protected Areas will be assessed. Sustainable development and integrated coastal zone management will be introduced, and case studies from around the world will be used to illustrate successes and failures of biological conservation. The course will deal with the over-exploitation of marine biological resources with a global overview and case studies of fisheries at the single species and ecosystem levels. The historical development of fisheries exploitation will be linked to technological advances made over the last 80 000 years. Approaches to management of fisheries will be evaluated. Aquaculture will be introduced as an alternative means of seafood production, criteria for selection of species will be considered, including biological characteristics, growth, reproduction, larval culture, yields and economics. Principles and culture practices for the major farmed groups will be reviewed and a range of species and characteristics of production systems from extensive to highly intensive will be compared, together with alternative approaches to increasing production such as stock enhancement. Environmental impacts, constraints on development and sustainability of aquaculture will be discussed

Assessment Criteria

threshold

Knowledge based on the directly taught programme, basic ability to integrate lines of evidence from a range of sources to support findings and hypotheses, basic understanding of subject specific theories, concepts and principles, basic ability to consider issues from a range of multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives.

good

Knowledge based on the directly taught programme with some evidence of enquiry beyond that perhaps derived from internet resources, good ability to integrate lines of evidence from a range of sources to support findings and hypotheses, good understanding of subject specific theories, concepts and principles, good ability to consider issues from a range of multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives.

excellent

Knowledge extending well beyond the directly taught programme with evidence of extensive enquiry beyond that perhaps derived from internet resources, excellent ability to integrate lines of evidence from a range of sources to support findings and hypotheses, excellent understanding of subject specific theories, concepts and principles, good ability to consider issues from a range of multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives.

Learning outcomes

  1. Critically assess issues of environment impacts and sustainability relating to coastal aquaculture

  2. Demonstrate the need for marine biological conservation and sustainable development by evaluating the threats to species, habitats, and ecosystem processes

  3. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of techniques and tools of protection of marine resources and sustainable management of exploitation by integrating named examples and case studies

  4. Be able to describe and discuss the historical, social and economic reasons why fishing is so important

  5. Describe and discuss the diversity of biological resources harvested from the sea

  6. Express knowledge of approaches to marine resource management and understanding of their limitations

  7. Explain the rationale for development of aquaculture, in comparison with terrestrial food production, fisheries and alternative approaches to improving coastal production

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
Case study (Costal Zone) 50.00
Examination 50.00

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Lecture

Blended learning approach of short recorded asynchronous lectures followed by discussion of content and directed reading

 30
Private study

Each lecture topic will be supported by specific directed reading material which will be available to students via Blackboard. This will expand on principles explained in lectures and provide specific examples/case studies. All students will be expected complete this reading

 170

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
  • Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses:

Optional in courses: