Applied Marine and Fisheries Ecology (MRes/MSc/PGDip)

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Structure and Content

The main objectives of these degree programmes are to:

• Provide training in research methods as a precursor to PhDs in marine biological sciences.
• Provide training in statistical, mathematical, and programming skills for biology graduates.
• Provide training in marine biology for students from the physical and social sciences.
• Facilitate understanding of the value of an integrated, multi-level and multidisciplinary approach to managing marine resources.
• Provide training in generic and life skills.

Duration of degree course

• MRes/MSc degrees: 12 months, comprising: taught modules + research project
• Diploma: 9 months, comprising taught modules + dissertation

These courses start in mid-September. Applications will usually be considered until the end of July (occasionally later) but early application (before Easter) is advised to secure a place. Some funded places are available (see below).

Week		Timetable
No.	Dates	Thread I		Thread II				III
11	Sep  19-23	Fieldtrip to Lighthouse Field Station ZO5005 (Sunday-Tues)
12	Sep 26–30	Marine Ecology and Ecosystem Management ZO5008		Experimental Design and Analysis BI5009				Personal Research Development EK5002
13	Oct 3-7
14	Oct 10-14
15	Oct 17-21	Fish Biology ZO5007
16	Oct 24-28
17	Oct 31-Nov 4
18	Nov 7-11	Population Ecology ZO5301		Aquaculture ZO5303		Statistics for complex designs BI5010
19	Nov 14-18
20	Nov 21-25
21	Nov 28–Dec 2			Molecular Ecological Techniques EK5403		Network Science ZO5903
22	Dec 5-9
23	Dec 12–16
24	Dec 19-23	Christmas vacation
25	Dec 26–30
26	Jan 2-6
27	Jan 9-13	Fisheries Technologies and Surveys ZO5402		Introduction to GIS EV5510			Controlled environment research project EK5905	Personal Research Development EK5002
28	Jan 16-20
29	Jan 23–27
30	Jan 30-Feb 3	Ecology & Society EK5506	Marine Landscapes and Spatial Management ZO5507	Advanced Spatial Information Analysis EV5511
31	Feb 6–10
32	Feb 13-17
33	Feb 20-24		Marine Top Predator Ecology Z05700	Applied Ecological Modelling EK5702	Foundations of Environmental Governance BI 5504
34	Feb 27-Mar 2
35	Mar 5-9
36	Mar 12-16	Stock Assessment ZO5802
37	Mar 19-23	Ecosystem Management ZO5801
38	Mar 26-30
39	Apr 2-6	Easter vacation
40	Apr 9-13
41	Apr 16-20	Research Project Planning ZO5904
42	Apr 23-27
43- 07	Apr 30 - Aug 13	Research Project ZO5902

Thread I: Monday 9 ?1 pm, Wednesday 11-1 pm, all day Thursday and Friday 9-1 pm.

Thread II: Monday 2-6 pm, all day Tuesday, Wednesday 9-11 am and Friday 2-6 pm.

Thread III: Wednesday, 2-4 pm

Blue: optional modules (students choosing one of the two proposed within the thread)

Cromarty Fieldtrip ZO5005 (0.5 credit points) 

Course Coordinators: Paul Thompson, Beth Scott and Paul Fernandes

Aims:  To provide a background to current coastal zone management issues, and an opportunity to explore how scientific data can be used to support management.  Key case studies will involve an exploration of the management and research requirements for Special Areas of Conservations; marine protected areas that have been established under the European Habitats Directive to protect bottlenose dolphins, harbour seals and salmon. The course also aims to provide experience in field sampling techniques, and will generate data sets that will be used in subsequent courses in statistical analysis. 

ZO5008 Marine Ecology & Ecosystem Management (7.5 credit points)

Course Coordinators: Beth Scott and Paul Fernandes

Aims:  This course aims at introducing students to core concepts in marine biology and ecology. It covers key marine biology and oceanographic principles and marine ecosystem functions, provides an understanding of ecological drivers in the marine environment and an introduction to fisheries biology and management.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on a group presentation (60%), an individual 2 page summary (20%) and debating skills and background preparation during the student-lead discussion  (individual work 20%).

BI5009 Experimental Design & Analysis (15 credit points)
(with MSc Ecology)

Course Coordinator: David Lusseau

Aims: To give students the opportunity to learn and develop the skills required for planning, analysis and presentation of scientific investigations.

This module will introduce you to the essential skills of experimental design and data analysis. As well as generic core sessions, there will be field and classroom sessions specifically on ecological topics. You will cover: Basic statistics; Sampling theory and practice; and Data exploration and analysis. These sessions will involve the use of spreadsheets (Excel) to visualise data and statistical software (R) for statistical analysis. The ecology-specific sessions will include day-long field trips to collect data. Additional (optional) sessions on the use of spreadsheets, how to present data, use Powerpoint and access library resources will also be held.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on an independent report.

EK5001 Personal Research Development (0 credit point)

(some sessions in collaboration with MSc Ecology)

Course Coordinators: Paul Fernandes and Beth Scott

Aims: Develop professional skills.

The course will comprise a series of interactive tutorials. Subjects to be covered will include:

• What are the current research issues in ecology?
• The use and abuse of hypotheses.
• How are new ecological ideas developed?
• How is research funded?
• What ethical issues do different types of ecological research raise?
• Making the best of bad data.
• How to read, write and publish a scientific paper.
• Planning a research project.

Other content will, however, be dictated to some extent by the students’ needs, which will vary from year to year. Feedback from students early in the course will guide the exact composition of later elements. This flexibility will also offer the opportunity for students to request and receive dedicated training on topics or techniques they identify in response to their experience in concurrent courses. Examples of these could include: data collection methods; statistics; taxonomy; environmental legislation. In all tutorials, students will be encouraged to participate in class discussions, to assemble relevant background information and to use it to present structured arguments. This course also allows essential skills to be developed for the project review which is an essential element of your research project.

ZO5007 Fish Biology (7.5 credit points)

Course Coordinator: Tara Marshall

Aims: This module will survey fundamental aspects of the biology of different components of the marine fish community through lectures and practicals. At the individual-level, the life cycles and life history strategies of fish will be summarised. Key aspects of population-level biology, including fish migration and population structure, will be covered. Case studies for a range of key Scottish species will also be covered. The relevance of fisheries biology to fisheries management will be highlighted throughout the course.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on 2 graded practicals (50% each).

ZO5301 Population Ecology (15 credit points)

(with MSc Ecology)

Course Coordinator: Justin Travis

Aims: The course is structured as a series of weekly themes, which each reflect areas of current research in animal ecology.  The content of the course is research-based, drawing on case studies from research-active staff within the School of Biological Sciences.  The topics cover a range of ecological and spatial scales: from single species’ population dynamics to community dynamics, and from local to macro-scale processes, with a focus on the application of current ecological knowledge and theory.  The course employs a mixed teaching style, incorporating traditional lectures with guided modelling sessions, discussion and debate sessions, examination of data, and critical analysis and presentation of published topics. The principal themes are: animal populations in time, structured population dynamics, animal populations in space, the dynamics of animal communities, and zoobiogeography. 

Assessment: A marked practical (50%) and a presentation (50%).

ZO5303 Aquaculture (and Fish Health) (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course coordinator: Thelma Fletcher, Rachel Kilburn, and Sam Martin

Aims: To develop an understanding of the systems used in the cultivation of major aquaculture species, the importance of the environment, disease, nutrition and genetics to aquaculture. This module will cover the following concepts: Criteria for species selection, diseases and parasitology of fish and shellfish, control and treatment, health regulations, epidemiology of disease, environmental implications of aquaculture, nutrition and feed technology, and genetics and selective breeding.

Assessment: Essay of 2500 words on an aspect of aquaculture.

BI5010 Statistics for Complex Study Designs (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course coordinators: David Lusseau, Rene van der Wal, Alex Douglas

Aims: To further the statistical skills of students. It will develop their skills in advanced statistical techniques and in the design of complex studies. This course will equip them with problem-solving skills necessary to carry out independent advanced ecological research. The module will be divided in themed weeks during which students will gain skills in sampling design (through practicals) and analytical techniques (through lecture and computer labs). The course will go through dealing with nested and repeated sampling, random effects, and correlated data.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on one independent report.

EK5403 Molecular Ecological Techniques (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course Coordinator: Stuart Piertney

Aims: The aims of the course are to expose students to key lab-based techniques currently used in ecological research, and highlight how such techniques may develop in the short and medium term futures. As such, the course will cover:

• How genetic diversity is defined and maintained
• How microevolutionary forces influence the spatio-temporal distribution of genetic diversity
• Generic and specific techniques used in the assessment of genetic diversity (PCR, gel electrophoresis, restriction fragment length polymorphism, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, single stranded conformational polymorphism, DNA sequencing, microsatellite genotyping)

Assessment: two in class assessment and one report.

ZO5903 Network Science (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course coordinator: David Lusseau

Aims: This module aims at introducing students to network theory, developing their network analytical skills, and demonstrating the advantage of these techniques to study complex adaptive systems. It will introduce students to statistical computer intensive techniques (bootstrapping, jackknifing) and techniques to describe the structure of real-world networks and the dynamics of processes taking place on these networks.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on a graded practical (90% each) and class participation (10%).

ZO5402 Fisheries Technologies and Surveys (7.5 credit points)

Course coordinator: Paul Fernandes and Barry O’Neill

Aims: The module, offered in part by the Marine Scotland Science Marine Lab, introduces students to fishing gear and fish behaviour in relation to gear and to fishery independent (survey) methods to assess abundance and distribution. It covers the various types of gear including trawls, gill nets and ghost fishing, as well as measurement and observation in gear experiments.  Various behavioural concepts are covered including swimming and fish sensory systems with a further look at fish vision. The concept of selectivity is described in theoretical detail and is then followed by a description of the various selectivity techniques and a review of unaccounted mortality.  The other part covers fishery independent (survey) methods, with emphasis on the acoustic survey technique. This is another intensive week-long programme of lectures and practicals dealing with fishery independent (survey) data.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on 1 graded practical (survey analysis).

EV5510  Introduction to GIS and EV5511 Advanced spatial and information analysis (7.5 credits each)

Course coordinators: Steve Palmer

Aims: This two part course provides students with an understanding of the wealth of environmental monitoring methodologies available, and of the ways in which data acquired from observations can be used to understand the system being studied. 

At the end of the course, students will be able to identify the most appropriate monitoring methodology for a particular set of environmental indicators, and to identify the GIS-based method most appropriate to

• Detect patterns in the acquired data
• Identify relationships between different indicators. 
• Monitoring methodologies studied will be predominantly remote sensing (i.e., satellite, aerial photography) but will also consider ground-based approaches.

Assessment: two project reports - one each course.

EK5903 Controlled environment research project (22.5 credit points)

Elective for MRes students

Course coordinator: An appropriate member of staff acts as supervisor.

Aims: This module provides the opportunity for MRes students to start working on their thesis project with a member of staff if it is deemed appropriate by the supervisor. This module is then taken instead of 22.5 credits of the offered modules over that period. Taught courses totalling 22.5 credits will from either Thread 1 or 2 between weeks 27 and 36 need to be chosen and approved by the supervisor.  

Assessment: integrated in the project (ZO5902).

EK 5506 Ecology and Society (15 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course Coordinator: Michelle Pinard

Aims: In the course, students will

• examine a variety of research initiatives that fall on the interface between ecology and society (e.g., ecosystem services and restoration ecology; sustainability and resilience and the links between ecological systems and social systems);
• consider current issues and their relevance for ecologists (e.g.,  policies for increasing public involvement in natural resource conservation and management for ecologists, promotion of traditional knowledge);
• compare the roles of quantitative, qualitative and action research and to explain how research objectives and methods are matched to method;
• consider how ecological research findings impact on policy development; become familiar with tools used in the preparation of research proposals that have an applied, social element.

Assessment: Four short (600 word) discussion essays, best three marks count.

ZO5700 Marine Top Predator Ecology (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course coordinator: Paul Thompson

Aims: This module aims to explore the driving forces underlying changes in the abundance and distribution of marine top predators, to consider how potential changes in their populations can provide indicators of ecosystem change, and to outline policy and management measures aimed at reducing human impacts upon them. Lectures will cover the theory and practice of assessing change in the size, status and distribution of seabird and marine mammal populations. Practical sessions will include an introduction to the equipment, field and analytical techniques used in these programmes. Field trips will incorporate visits to key monitoring sites in the NE of Scotland, and discussion with organisations responsible for the monitoring, management and interpretation of these populations. An important component of the course will be the use of seminars, directed learning and group problem-solving to explore the factors that drive population change, and to assess the potential impacts of different types of human development on marine top predator populations. Lectures will also provide background to the policy drivers and regulatory frameworks relevant to current issues in this area.

Assessment: 100% continuous assessment, based on independent written report following group project work.

ZO5507 Marine Landscapes and Spatial Management (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course coordinator: Beth Scott

Aims: To enable students to appreciate the level of understanding of the physical oceanography, trophic interactions, species survival and reproduction that are required to implement spatially explicit, sustainable ecosystem-base management.

Key concepts covered:

• Marine habitats
• Oceanographic processes and climate variation
• Current Marine Spatial planning legislation
• Ecological design of protected areas.

Assessments: One project (100%).

BI 5504 Foundations of Environmental Governance (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course Coordinators: René van der Wal (ACES, School of Biological Sciences) & Ben Davies (ACES, Business School)

Aims: This course will explore ideas and concepts that determine how the natural environment is governed. The course will provide an introduction to ideas from different disciplinary perspectives which influence objectives and strategies in environmental management. It will present introductions to ideas and concepts that can shape discussions of environmental problems, and explore how these different insights can influence environmental choices in different contexts.

The concepts introduced will range through the social sciences and humanities, introducing ways of thinking about environmental issues from politics, economics, moral philosophy, law, sociology and planning. The aim of the course is to gain an insight into how different disciplinary perspectives may confront the challenge of deciding how to manage environmental problems.

The course will be held in the UoA weeks 33-35, i.e. commencing 21 February 2011. We anticipate seven ‘lecture slots’ of 2hrs each during which the lecturer considers elements central to environmental governance appropriate to his or her disciplinary background and personal interests. There will be three lecturing slots in each of week 33 and 34 and one slot in week 35. The Friday of each week will be a discussion session held by the course coordinators.

Assessment: The assignment is likely to be a 1000 words proposal to the Scottish Government regarding the potential for creating a new National Park, whereby the student is expected to at least draw on some the ‘perspectives’ offered by the lecturers.

EK5702 Applied Ecological Modelling (7.5 credit points)

Elective (with MSc Ecology)

Course coordinator: Justin Travis

Aims: The module aims to teach the students how to construct and implement their own models. The course introduces simulation techniques and programming in either R or C++.

Assessment: Continuous assessment (100%).

ZO5802 Stock Assessment (7.5 credit points)

Course coordinators: Coby Needle and Helen Dobby

Aims: This course, offered by the Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, aims to introduce students to the principles and methods of modern fisheries stock assessment and forecasting. It will cover assessment principles as well as data collection and simulation techniques. It will then go into detailed descriptions of stock assessment models (single species and multi-species), forecasting techniques and the processes through which management advice are developed.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on a single graded practical exercise (100%).

ZO5801 Ecosystem Management (10 credit points)

Course coordinator: Paul Fernandes and Beth Scott

Aims: This module aims to offer students a range of lectures by Government, Industry, and NGO representatives on the current approaches to ecosystem management. The students will be required to present both an oral and written report on their personal interpretation of the Ecosystem-based management paradigm.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on the individual’s oral preparations (40%) and a written, journal style, paper (60%).

ZO5904 Research project planning (5 credit points)

Course coordinator: Paul Fernandes and Beth Scott

Aims: Students will carry out independent work to specialise on a topic of their choice. PgDip students will produce a dissertation that will count towards their degree. MSc and MRes students will produce a literature review on the topic of their thesis and will take the opportunity to develop a proposal for their thesis work.

Assessment: The module will be assessed based on one independent report (100%).

ZO5902 Research Project (60 credit points)

Course coordinator:  An appropriate member of staff acts as supervisor.

Aim: To plan, execute and report a substantial, independent and original research project on a topic relevant to the remit of the programme.

The School has a strong research culture and this environment is important in engaging your enthusiasm for your research project. This is an excellent opportunity to carry out pioneering research, often as an active member of an existing research group. A member of staff in the School usually supervises the project, although it is possible to carry out research projects under the supervision of staff outwith the School, e.g. at the Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory.

During your project, we anticipate that you will manage to achieve most of the following objectives:

• Review the literature using peer-reviewed material that focuses on the current scientific status of the subject
• Formulate testable hypotheses
• Design experiments, surveys or models to test those hypotheses
• Plan the logistics of the study
• Produce new empirical data or re-work existing data, including long-term datasets
• Analyse data using appropriate statistical techniques
• Interpret and critically evaluate the data
• Synthesise and discuss your findings

As part of your research training, we require you to write up your project as a manuscript for a leading ecology journal, rather than as a traditional thesis – the format of which will be provided to you nearer the time. Specific training sessions will be provided to enable you to achieve these objectives with confidence.

Hand-in deadline for the project review: 

12.00, Monday of week 44 (30 April 2011).

Hand-in deadline for the project report:         

12.00, Monday of week 07 (13 August 2011).

The skills learned in producing a research manuscript will be of great value in a future career as a scientist, and it is possible that we will be able to submit the best papers for publication in a relevant journal – a genuine achievement to add to your CV.

Aberdeen is the location for several internationally recognised Research Institutes with which the University of Aberdeen is formally associated, within the Aberdeen Research Consortium. These include the Rowett Research Institute (animal and human nutrition), the James Hutton Institute (formerly the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and SCRI, combining expertise in crops, soils and land use and environmental research), the Scottish Agricultural College, and Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory. The School has close collaborative research links with these institutes, and members of their staff also contribute to our teaching programmes. We encourage you to show initiative in creating your own research project, to approach potential supervisors with your ideas. Paul Fernandes and Beth Scott are always willing to suggest appropriate individuals.

Work-based research projects

There is increasing demand from employers and students alike that Masters programmes provide an element of workplace experience.  The University of Aberdeen is committed to providing Masters students with an opportunity to collaborate with employers in the form of a work-based research project. This will provide essential workplace experience, and improve your professional attributes and employability beyond your Masters. 

Therefore, as an alternative to the established University based research project, we are also hoping to provide you with the opportunity of undertaking a project in collaboration with an employer that is tailored to programme material and individual interests.  Both types of projects are assessed according to defined project guidelines, descriptors, and learning outcomes, so there is no overall academic difference to the project format except for the ‘placement’ of the work to be undertaken.  There will also be the possibility of personally engaging with employers to source and refine project topics of personal relevance.

Examples of such projects might include working with energy companies, or environmental consultancies, to investigate the environmental impacts of proposed marine renewable energy sites; or working with a fish processing company, or fishing company, to address criteria required to achieve sustainable certification (ecolabelling).

We are working closely with the ‘Learning To work 2’ initiative, based in the Careers Service, to ensure high quality work-based projects to suit your needs.

The Laird Prize

The prize commemorates the life of Lindsay Laird (1949 – 2001) who was a major contributor to the earlier Masters’ course in Marine & Fisheries Science: Sustainable Management of Living Marine Resources. Her special interest was in aquaculture and her Handbook of Salmon Farming, edited with Selina Stead, was published shortly after her death. Her name is now associated with the prize awarded to the student considered to have the best range of marks indicating a breadth of knowledge of the aquatic environment.

A full list of recent projects appears here. Copies of most MRes/MSc theses are available for consultaton in the University library.

Diploma students complete a dissertation on a topic of their choice over a period of approximately 2 months.

Assessment

Assessment of the taught modules is by continuous assessment - set work (eg, essays, posters, seminars, case studies and data handling exercises, associated with each module) and written examinations. The thesis or dissertation is examined and an oral examination may also be required. Provisional marks and feedback on assessed work will be made available to students at the end of each module. All marks are subject to ratification by the External Examiner. Our current External Examiner is Prof Mike Elliott, University of Hull.

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