Postgraduate Zoology 2014-2015

This course will provide a background to current coastal zone management issues, and an opportunity to explore how scientific data can be used to support management at the University’s Lighthouse Field Station at Cromarty.  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.

This course surveys fundamental aspects of temperate marine fish communities through lectures, discussions and practicals.

Key aspects of life history strategies of fish and population-level biology will be covered providing essential background for understanding human impacts on fish and fisheries.

The relevance of fisheries biology to fisheries management is highlighted throughout the course to enable students to put this knowledge into practice.

Guest lectures given by experts in a relevant field provide opportunities to network with professionals working with marine resource management.

Written feedback, based on the analysis of data collected during practical work, improves ability to write scientific reports.

This course provides an introduction to core concepts in marine biology, ecology and ecosystem management. It provides an understanding of ecological drivers, both biological and physical, in the marine environment and an introduction to fisheries biology and management. The course offers a unique curriculum allowing you to gain both theoretical and practical experience with hands on labs, essay writing, group presentation and debating skills.  This interdisciplinary course is taught by a range of researchers both in academia and in the front line of implementation by people from Marine Scotland Science, Scottish Natural Heritage and Joint Nature Conservation Committee. 

Aquaculture now supplies approximately 50% of all marine food consumed by humans.  Farming of fish and shellfish is the fastest growing food production industry in the world and is predicted to continue grow over the next few decades, within Scotland salmon is the second largest food export.  The demand from the growing human population for high quality food and fish paralleled by the over exploitation of wild fish stocks is driving the expansion of aquaculture.  There are many issues with fish farming including disease control, feeding, controlling life histories, genetics and the environmental load.

This course introduces key concepts in population ecology and ecological modelling. Teaching is through a mix of lectures and computing practicals. Topics covered include population dynamics, dispersal, density dependence, stochasticity and population viability. Each topic is introduced during a lecture and then students have the opportunity to put the ideas into practise during computer practicals during which models are implemented using R as a programming language. Students should exit the course with a solid grounding in the fundamentals of population ecology, understanding of what ecological models are for and a basic knowledge of how to develop dynamic models using R. 

This course features significant input from professional scientists from Marine Scotland Science (MSS), the government’s foremost marine science research laboratory, based in Aberdeen.  Several lectures and practical sessions are delivered by MSS scientists, allowing students to learn about, and develop a practical understanding of, fishing gear and the variety of marine survey techniques employed by national and international agencies to determine the status of marine resources. The course also develops students’ computer programming abilities, adding to their numerate and analytical skills, which are in such high demand from employers in academia and applied science.

The course is an introduction to network science for biologists by biologists. It provides a conceptual introduction to the physics of networked systems, and then provides training in network analytical and modelling techniques. You will be trained in ways to describe networks and their architecture, to estimate network centrality measures and clustering and to infer network topology. The course has a special topics component that is tailored to the interests of the student cohort. That includes topics such as multiplex, propagation models on networks, coupled oscillation on networks, social network dynamics, molecular network inference, and causality network inference.

This course will enable students to appreciate the level of understanding of physical & biological oceanography, biodiversity, trophic interactions and individual species level life history issues that are required to implement spatially explicit, sustainable marine conservation.   

Students will be able to problem-solve in small groups and integrate diverse data sources to define the reasons for specific locations and the design of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). 

Labs will cover a range of skills from the use of oceanographic models to the analysis of varied layers of spatial data on species, habitats and communities.

A lecture based course delivered by researchers at the leading edge of deep sea exploration.

One day practical at the Oceanlab deep sea facility to receive hands on experience in the operation and interpretation of deep sea sampling.

A multi-disciplinary approach to the study material for a broader understanding of life in the deepest oceans.

Freedom to demonstrate independent and critical thinking is given as part of the written coursework.

This interactive course focuses on some of the key, current challenges to the conservation of biodiversity. Through fieldtrips, debates, discussions and lectures we will explore different perspectives and the role of science in helping find solutions. During the course we will have an opportunity to explore issues in depth with land managers, leading conservation NGOs and environmental consultants. The course therefore offers a unique opportunity to discuss major issues in conservation today with those on the front-line, consider different world views and debate alternative strategies for tackling these challenges.

This course features significant input from professional scientists from Marine Scotland Science (MSS), the Scottish Government’s foremost marine science research laboratory, based in Aberdeen.  Computer practical sessions, delivered by MSS scientists, introduce students to the principles and methods of modern fisheries stock analysis and assessments, which ultimately help determine how fishing quotas are set.  The course develops students’ computer programming abilities, adding to their numerate and analytical skills, which are in such high demand from employers in academia and applied science.

• Independent research project that can cover any area of ecology, and which may be computer, laboratory, greenhouse or field based;

• Provides a thorough training in managing all aspects of a research project from inception to delivery of a thesis in the format of an international scientific journal;

• Projects can be based anywhere in the world and often are associated with on-going cutting-edge research by academic staff;

• Collaboration with external organisations is encouraged to enable students to gain a greater range of experience.

You will carry out independent work to specialise on a topic of your choice. 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. PgDip students will produce a dissertation that will count towards their degree.