2022/23 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

BLGY2321 Marine Zoology Field Course

10 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr Josie South
Email: J.South@leeds.ac.uk

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

Year running 2022/23

Pre-requisites

BLGY1300

Coastal and Upland Habitats Field Course

This module is mutually exclusive with

BLGY2313

Mediterranean Ecology Field Course

Module replaces

BLGY2320

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

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.

Objectives

- To provide students with expertise in field work relevant to Marine Zoology.
- To develop critical skills in marine zoology field research, including experimental design, use of field and laboratory tools, hypothesis testing, data handling, data analysis.
- To develop transferable skills in oral and written presentation skills, synthesis of literature, health and safety and risk assessment.
- To develop skills in team working and time management.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to show:
1. Ability to examine field-collected organisms and record your observations;
2. Ability to sample a habitat, and to analyse and interpret the data obtained;
3. Ability to identify unknown organisms using a key;
4. An understanding of the role of marine invertebrates in the study of developmental biology;
5. An appreciation of the roles of natural and anthropogenic disturbance using the rocky intertidal as a model;
6. Ability to design, plan, execute field and/or laboratory experiments or observations;
7. Ability to work in a team;
8. Ability to engage in safe working practices in the field and laboratory;
9. An appreciation of animal welfare and ethics;
10. Ability to handle, present and analyse data;
11. Ability to produce a report in the context of the literature; and
12. Ability to report on a field or experimental exercise working as part of a group.

Skills outcomes
- How to keep and observe marine animals;
- Ethical treatment of marine animals;
- Use of microscopes and video suite to record marine invertebrate reproduction and development;
- Measurement of animal behaviour, evolution and adaptation;
- Understanding of human driven threats to marine life.

Syllabus

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.

Students will do 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.

Students will work in small groups undertaking guided work and each group will choose a research topic from a list of options, or develop a topic of their own in consultation with the module manager.

On return to Leeds, and through most of the first and second semester, students will do reflective independent study to build upon their field course experience and research their fieldwork projects through reading relevant scientific papers.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Fieldwork	5	5.00	25.00
Lecture	8	1.00	8.00
Practical	2	2.00	4.00
Practical	5	6.00	30.00
Seminar	3	2.00	6.00
Independent online learning hours			12.00
Private study hours			15.00
Total Contact hours			73.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

Private Study Hours:
1.Identify, read and prepare presentation of scientific paper relevant to the field course - 12 hours
2.Reading of marine field guide chosen from list -5 hours
a) Barrett & C.M. Yonge: Collins pocket guide to the seashore (Collins).
b) Campbell & J. Nicholls: The Hamlyn guide to the seashore and shallow seas of Britain and Europe
c) Fish J D and Fish S, A student's guide to the Seashore. Unwin Hyman;
d) An ecological approach to the rocky shore, e.g.
e) Brehaut R.N.: Ecology of Rocky Shores. Studies in Biology 139, Edward Arnold.
f) Archer-Thomson, John.: Guide for rocky shore investigations: some guidelines to help you choose a rocky shore investigation. Shrewsbury: Field Studies Council.
g) Little C. & Kitching J.A.: The Biology of Rocky Shores. Oxford University Press.
3.Online resources to support Development/behaviour/ecology component - 5 hours
4.Online taxomonic and information repositories: - 5 hours
a) WORMS: http://www.marinespecies.org/ (World Register of Marine Species)
b) EurOBIS: http://www.eurobis.org/ (European Ocean Biogeographic Information System)
c) OBIS : https://www.obis.org/ (Ocean Biogeographic Information System)
d) MarLIN: https://www.marlin.ac.uk/ (The Marine Life Information Network)
e) DASSH: https://www.dassh.ac.uk/ (The Archive for Marine Species and Habitats Data – UK)
f) Marine Species Identification Protal http://species-identification.org/
g) NBN atlas: https://nbnatlas.org/ (includes marine species)
h) Redmap: https://www.redmap.org.au/ (Australian log of tropical marine sightings in temperate environments)
i) MSCUK: https://www.mcsuk.org/sightings/ (Marine wildlife sightings)

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Daily attendance at, and active participation in, classes and practical field work session will be monitored;
- Formative feedback on students experimental design, field skills, identification skills, microscope skills is provided throughout the field course;
- Formative feedback on assessed reports is also provided during the field course, enabling students to apply this in the next report;
- Students are encouraged to provide feedback on the module, teaching etc through conversations with staff throughout the course. Students may also feedback to post grad demonstrators;
- Project allocation and design takes into account student interests and preferences.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
In-course Assessment	Field notebook record. (This is your individual record of all your aims, approaches, observations, interpretations and conclusions throughout the week, for all exercises, including your project work. This record should be maintained continuously throughout the week, in the field and in the laboratory / study rooms, as a contemporaneous record. Submission by 11.00 on Sunday, 12th September.)	50.00
In-course Assessment	Project achievement, oral presentation and individual contribution to project work. (Project performance - concepts and understanding, design and execution, analysis and interpretation, communication through oral presentation. Each group gives a 15 minute talk on their project, plus 5 minutes for questions, on the afternoon of Sunday, 12th September)	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: 20/07/2022

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