Availabilities:
| Location | Domestic | International |
|---|---|---|
| National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour | ||
| Online |
Unit description
Introduces students to the concepts and practice for planning, implementing, analysing and interpreting surveys in the marine environment. The logical approach to survey design is emphasised and practised in field exercises, and common statistical methods are applied to the analysis of class data. Quality assurance/quality control of data is practised including proofing, and short- and long-term data storage and management.
Unit content
The schedule of topics is spread between lectures, field studies, workshops and laboratory classes:
Procedures for establishing a study
Allocating sampling effort
Methods for sampling marine habitats
Preserving, sorting and identifying samples
Data management and analysis
Summarising and reporting your data
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.
| On completion of this unit, students should be able to: | |
|---|---|
| 1 | explain the main steps in conducting ecological investigations |
| 2 | apply best-practice design considerations to ecological investigations |
| 3 | choose the most appropriate sampling methods for different marine habitats and organisms |
| 4 | design pilot studies to optimise the outcomes of ecological investigations |
| 5 | critically evaluate the quality of published research work |
| 6 | optimally present findings of studies. |
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- explain the main steps in conducting ecological investigations
- apply best-practice design considerations to ecological investigations
- choose the most appropriate sampling methods for different marine habitats and organisms
- design pilot studies to optimise the outcomes of ecological investigations
- critically evaluate the quality of published research work
- optimally present findings of studies.
Prescribed texts
- Kingsford, M & Battershill, C , 1998, Studying Temperate Marine Environments, Canterbury University Press. ISBN: 0–908812-54-X.
Teaching and assessment
Fee information
Domestic
Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
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.