Coral Reef Ecology Field Course (Masters) (851C1)

30 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Autumn teaching

Coral reefs are one of the most ecologically and economically important habitats on the planet. They have exceptional levels of biodiversity, are critical to the life-history and development of many pelagic as well as reef-associated marine species, and provide critical ecosystem services upon which many human communities rely.

However, coral reefs are also globally threatened from direct human activities and the indirect impact of climate change. Coral reefs therefore provide both an exceptional setting to learn about marine ecology, and also one for which there is a real and urgent need for an improved understanding to inform policy and conservation management strategies.

This field course will be involve scuba and snorkel-based data collection at coral reefs, giving you the opportunity to learn and apply techniques from marine biology, develop and test scientific hypotheses, and gain an in-depth understanding of the unique ecosystem of coral reefs.

Teaching

13%: Lecture
87%: Practical (Fieldwork, Practical)

Assessment

100%: Coursework (Portfolio, Report)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 77 hours of contact time and about 73 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2022/23. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: