Unit of Study MRNE5002 Marine Communities as Sentinels of Change (2024)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Science and Engineering
Placement

No

Anti-requisites

BIO10123 - Marine Communities as Sentinels of Change

Enrolment information

There will be a 2-day compulsory residential for ALL students that will be held at the National Marine Science Centre. Please refer to http://scu.edu.au/timetables for further information on timetables.

Unit description

Critically evaluates patterns and processes in a range of marine communities and applies this knowledge to concepts of marine management. Develops advanced understanding of ecological structure and function, links between communities, and their responses to natural and human-induced disturbances. Theoretical aspects are reinforced through a series of field activities that foster practical knowledge of key community types.

Unit content

1. Reef types and biodiversity

2. Coral reef origins and communities

3. Subtropical reefs

4. Temperate reefs

5. Natural and human disturbance to reef communities

6. Reef management and restoration

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour	Term1	Term1
Online	Term1	N/A

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:

develop advanced understanding of the ecology of marine habitats

apply ecological principles to critically evaluate primary biotic and abiotic processes affecting marine organisms in different habitats

demonstrate advanced knowledge about the suitability of different communities for monitoring environmental condition

synthesise available information to demonstrate advanced understanding of processes affecting global biodiversity.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Residential 2 days (Once)

Assessment
Grant application	30%
Workbook	40%
Quiz	30%

Teaching method

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Residential 2 days (Once)

Assessment
Grant application	30%
Workbook	40%
Quiz	30%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

Field work will involve trips to rocky shores. Suitable footwear and sun protection are mandatory.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

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.

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