Marine Biology
The seas cover 70% of the planet and this course focuses on the science that provides our understanding of life in the seas. This includes a consideration of the biological processes that allow life to flourish in the sea and how the organisms interact with each other and the environment. Only by understanding the ecology of marine systems that we can understand and manage mans impact on them through commercial exploitation, waste disposal and commercial developments. We aim to provide the opportunity for students to study living marine communities in their natural environment. They comment: ‘We all had a brilliant time, this is the best way to learn about the marine environment’. The most recent national Teaching Assessment stated that the course was a wonderful teaching and learning experience. The students have described the lecturers as being ‘enthusiastic’, ‘amazing’ and ‘fantastic’.
Year One
In the first semester students take a series of modules that consolidate and build knowledge across the whole breadth of biology. In the second semester marine biology students have three compulsory lecture modules; Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems, Patterns of Biodiversity & Production in the Marine Environment and Invertebrates & Chordates, and two compulsory practical modules; Experimental Design and Analysis and Field Skills.There is also a compulsory module of tutorials that runs across both semesters. The remaining modules are chosen according to the students’ interests.
Year 1 Modules
CHEMICAL PRINCIPLES OF LIFE (BIOL121) (Required)
CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION (ANAT123) (Required)
BIODIVERSITY OF MICROBES AND PLANTS (BIOL125) (Required)
PRINCIPLES OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (BIOL127) (Required)
GENETICS AND EVOLUTION (BIOL129) (Required)
BIODIVERSITY OF ANIMALS (BIOL131) (Required)
PRACTICAL SKILLS (BIOL133) (Required)
QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 1 (BIOL135) (Required)
HUMAN IMPACT ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS (BIOL126) (Required)
INVERTEBRATES AND CHORDATES (BIOL130) (Required)
KEY SKILLS (BIOL150) (Required)
Year Two
Two lecture modules are compulsory for marine biologists: Marine Resource Exploitation and Physiology, Behaviour and Genetics of Marine Organisms,along with a further compulsory tutorial module and a module of quantitative biology (data analysis). All marine biology students also take the double module Marine Ecology Field Studies; this involves a residential field course and a series of day excursions to local marine field sites. The other modules are chosen from a wide menu of topics including Population Ecology, Animal Physiology, Evolutionary & Ecological Genetics and Animal Behaviour.
Year 2 Modules
QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2 (BIOL215) (Required)
PHYSIOLOGY, BEHAVIOUR AND GENETICS OF MARINE ANIMALS (BIOL228) (Required)
MARINE ECOLOGY FIELD STUDIES (BIOL275) (Required)
KEY SKILLS 2 (BIOL290) (Required)
MARINE RESOURCE EXPLOITATION (BIOL281) (Required)
POPULATION ECOLOGY AND PEST CONTROL (BIOL201) (Recommended)
NATURAL RESOURCES: DEPLETION, POLLUTION AND TOXICOLOGY (BIOL202) (Recommended)
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (BIOL204) (Recommended)
ANIMAL PARASITOLOGY (BIOL205) (Recommended)
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIOBIOLOGY (BIOL206) (Recommended)
COMPARATIVE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY (BIOL208) (Recommended)
REPLICATION, RECOMBINATION AND REPAIR (BIOL209) (Recommended)
THE GENOME - ORGANISATION AND ANALYSIS (BIOL210) (Recommended)
BIOCHEMISTRY OF DISEASE (BIOL212) (Recommended)
ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATERS (BIOL213) (Recommended)
EVOLUTIONARY AND ECOLOGICAL GENETICS (BIOL216) (Recommended)
PHYSIOLOGICAL CONTROL SYSTEMS (BIOL218) (Recommended)
CELL SIGNALLING (BIOL220) (Recommended)
PROTEIN BIOTECHNOLOGY (BIOL222) (Recommended)
VIROLOGY (BIOL224) (Recommended)
TECHNIQUES IN CELL BIOLOGY (BIOL227) (Recommended)
BIODIVERSITY PRACTICAL SKILLS (BIOL229) (Recommended)
INVESTIGATIVE METHODS: DISTURBED ENVIRONMENTS (BIOL272) (Recommended)
Year Three
The final year has two compulsory modules for marine biologists, these are both double modules. Marine Biology: Contemporary Issues comprises three elements, a residential field course during which students undertake an individual research project, a visit to an overseas marine biology institute of the students choosing and a series of research seminars given by leading UK and international scientists. All students also carry out an individual research project (the Marine Biology Research Project module) in which original discoveries may be made by students using our state of the art research facilities. The results of some projects have been published - a wonderful start to a young biologist’s career. The lecture courses cover topics that reflect both the key contemporary issues in marine biology and the research interests of the teaching staff: Marine Ecology & Management; Surviving the Marine Environment: Adaptation, Behaviour & Evolution; and Modelling Aquatic Rates in Natural Environments. Students may also take modules, such as Marine Pollution and Biogeochemical processes, from the Oceanography programme or other modules offered by the School of Biological Sciences.
Year 3 Modules
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