2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY2322 Marine Zoology Field Course

20 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr Andrew Peel
Email: A.D.Peel@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: 1 Sep to 30 Sep (1mth) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Module replaces

BLGY2321

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module explores the study of animal marine biology including marine, intertidal and coastal organisms. The module is normally held at Dale Fort, Pembrokeshire. Students will be exposed to a range of familiar and unfamiliar habitats and species. Topics studied include organism adaptation to their environment, intertidal ecology and animal distributions, antipredator behaviour, reproduction and development of marine invertebrates, parasitic diseases, and human impacts on coastal marine animals including climate and pollution.

Objectives

The module aims to prepare students for field research and develop knowledge of the key habitats and taxa of marine and coastal ecosystems.
Students will practice their research skills by carrying out background reading and preparation relevant to the subject prior to the field course. After three days of instructed background learning and fieldwork, the students will spend the remainder of the field course carrying out group-based research. This project will develop skills in team work, research design and a number of key field work techniques.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Design a robust, ethical field sampling/experimental and analysis protocol to investigate an aspect of shoreline ecology
2. Demonstrate identification skills for marine organisms using a key and sketch key traits
3. Describe and state the roles of marine invertebrates in the study of developmental biology and the roles of natural and anthropogenic disturbance using the rocky shore intertidal species as a model system
4. Select and apply suitable analysis methods for project data and calculate key biodiversity metrics for marine environments.

Skills Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
5. Apply creativity and innovation to biological research questions.
6. Work and communicate with others to collect and analyse data.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lectures	7	1.00	7.00
Fieldwork	7	8.00	56.00
Private study hours			137.00
Total Contact hours			63.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Formative feedback on students experimental design, field skills, identification skills, microscope skills is provided throughout the field course by regular meetings and check ins throughout the process; - Formative feedback on field notebooks is also provided during the field course.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Fieldwork	Field notebook exercises	50.00
Project	Research Project, which will include a group presentation of data alongside individual assessment.	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 10/10/2024

Disclaimer

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