Marine Fisheries Ecology

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Present scientific data as a professional report
• Estimate age and growth parameters from fish based on otolith analysis
• Conduct temporal and spatial analyses of fisheries data using R.
• Conduct laboratory and computer-based practical skills associated with fish ecology research and management
• Create multi-media documents including creations of infographics and videos
• Appreciate how ecology and fishery management can act to provide sustainable resources.
• Describe ecological theory underpinning modern marine fisheries assessment and management.

The module is given by members of the School of Ocean and Earth Science. Lectures focus on fisheries ecology and general principles of marine ecology that apply to fisheries management, focussing on fin fish fisheries

Laboratory practicals are focussed around extracting ecological and fisheries data from fish tissues including otolith extraction, age reading and tissue sampling for chemical analyses

Assessed work will develop skills relevant to professional fish and fisheries ecology such as age and growth assessments.

Teaching and learning methods

Formal lectures: The lecture slots (24hr) are the principle mechanism for delivery of factual content. The emphasis of the lessons is on conveying how ecological theory contributes to practical fisheries management, particularly in the context of ecosystem based fisheries management.

All course content is supported with a complete online course accessible through the course Blackboard site. The online materials are arranged into lessons co-inciding with the subjects covered in the lecture slots. Online materials cover the core factual content and provide accessible links to key papers in the literature. Lessons are used to expand on the Blackboard content.

The practical slots (36 hrs) are used to provide training in practical (transferrable) skills. Practicals will include handling and dissection of fish, assessment of fish age from biogenic structures and introduction to the use fo stable isotope and trace element tools in fisheries ecology

A wide range of support can be provided for those students who have further or specific learning and teaching needs.

Assessment strategy

Practical task - Fisheries consultancy report (50%)

This task involves both independent and group work centered around assessing fish age through digital image analyses, statistical evaluation of age and growth data accounting for reader error and generation of a profession report.

Each individual has a specific role within the team and the inidvidual assessment comprises a score for the individual work (75% of the mark) and a shared score for the overall report produced by the group (25%).

Assesses LO 3-6

Assessed task 2 Multi media review report. An inidvidual task to build a multimedia evaluation of a topic using Microsoft Sway.

The way must contain and original infographic or 4 minute video as well as text and images. The overall score comprises 50% for the original infographic or video and 50% for the Sway as a whole.

There is a choice of topics reflecting the breadth of the course focussing on aspects of the application of ecological knowledge to sustainable fisheries management

tests LO 1,2 and 7

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External