Unit description
Provides field-based learning approaches to studying coral reef ecology and management. Field training includes quantitative reef benthic and fish community surveys. Examines natural dynamism and the complex ecology of coral reef ecosystems, and their responses to disturbance. Highlights key management issues including climate change and the global reef loss.
Unit content
1. Introduction to coral reef ecology and key management issues2. Reef origins, geomorphology and dynamism
3. Biology, reproduction, growth and ecology of coral communities
4. Algal builders and diversity of primary productivity on coral reefs
5. Secondary production and trophic pathways on coral reefs
6. Reef biodiversity and symbiosis on coral reefs
7. Reef fish communities and their management
8. Natural disturbance and reef resilience
9. Human impacts on coral reefs and reef degradation
10. Coral bleaching, climate change and global reef loss
11. Coral reef management issues and future scenarios for coral reefs
Learning outcomes
Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.
Learning outcomes and graduate attributes
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | GA1 | GA2 | GA3 | GA4 | GA5 | GA6 | GA7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | summarise key aspects of the biology and ecology of coral reef ecosystems and explain coral reef formation. | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | Lifelong learning | ||||
| 2 | identify and classify important species and higher level taxa of corals, fish, algae and other reef organisms occurring on the Great Barrier Reef and explain their ecological roles. | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | Lifelong learning | ||||
| 3 | distinguish major ecological processes within coral reef ecosystems and explain their natural dynamism. | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | |||||
| 4 | discriminate between natural and human-induced disturbance impacts on coral reefs. | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | |||||
| 5 | analyse and interpret quantitative studies of coral reef communities. | Intellectual rigour | Knowledge of a discipline | Communication and social skills | ||||
| 6 | integrate the use of ecological information as an essential tool in management of coral reefs. | Intellectual rigour | Creativity | Knowledge of a discipline | Lifelong learning | |||
| 7 | critically analyse the global status of coral reef ecosystems, and formulate appropriate reef management strategies in response to current and predicted future impacts. | Intellectual rigour | Creativity | Ethical practice | Knowledge of a discipline | Lifelong learning | Cultural competence | |
Prescribed texts
Session 3
- No prescribed texts.
Teaching and assessment
Fee information
Domestic
Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2014 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 2
Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees
International
Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.