Availabilities:
| Location | Domestic | International |
|---|---|---|
| National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour | ||
| Online | N/A |
Unit description
Explores a multidisciplinary approach to major types of chemical, physical, and biological pollutants that impact upon marine environments. This unit investigates pathways, fates and effects of these pollutants on marine ecosystems and human health. Different approaches to the design of monitoring programs for detecting and techniques for controlling pollutants are examined. Students gain practical skills in sampling techniques and analyses of polluted samples.
Unit content
Read the study guide topics and directed readings.
An Introduction to Marine Pollution
Nutrients and oxygen demanding wastes
Oil and hydrocarbons
Antifoulants, past and present
Metals and mining
Compartments, distribution processes and community response – case studies on sediments and dredging
Plastic wastes – the floaters
Radioactivity
Water and sediment quality monitoring, risk assessment and compliance testing. Risk assessment tools: Ecotoxicology, multiple lines of evidence, community response
Understanding management actions and legislation that can reduce and minimise pollution.
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 | critically analyse and evaluate pollution issues, their sources and the relationship humans have with marine environments |
| 2 | investigate the chemistry associated with pollutant behaviour in marine environments including nutrients, oil, metals, pesticides and herbicides, solid plastics, antifoulants, and radioactivity |
| 3 | synthesise information from multidisciplinary perspectives about the impacts of pollution and apply this to management decision making |
| 4 | develop tools that expand their inquiry to reflect on management outcomes |
| 5 | analyse and synthesise sound scientific information related to research and data collection associated with marine pollution |
| 6 | research and present sound scientific information for appropriate audiences. |
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- critically analyse and evaluate pollution issues, their sources and the relationship humans have with marine environments
- investigate the chemistry associated with pollutant behaviour in marine environments including nutrients, oil, metals, pesticides and herbicides, solid plastics, antifoulants, and radioactivity
- synthesise information from multidisciplinary perspectives about the impacts of pollution and apply this to management decision making
- develop tools that expand their inquiry to reflect on management outcomes
- analyse and synthesise sound scientific information related to research and data collection associated with marine pollution
- research and present sound scientific information for appropriate audiences.
Prescribed texts
- Prescribed text information is not currently available.
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.