Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminar | 2 x 1 Hour Seminars |
| Field Trip | 1 x 25 Hour Field Trip |
| Lecture | 12 x 1 Hour Lectures |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Professional skills development portfolio | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Environmental monitoring tender proposal (max 10 pages) | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Contract Report based on monitoring outlined in tender and undertaken during field week (up to 3,000 words) | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Students must take elements of assessment equivalent to those that led to failure of the module | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1) Demonstrate knowledge of the range of techniques used to sample shallow-water environments and their pros and cons
2) Demonstrate knowledge of the EU Water and Marine Framework directives and how Good Environmental Status is monitored in aquatic environments
3) Identify a range of organisms commonly found in shallow-water environments
4) Execute techniques used to sample shallow-water environments
5) Plan and execute research/monitoring of shallow-water environments including the design, execution and analysis of biological/chemical data
6) Plan and execute studies of shallow-water environments from the tendering process through to production of contract reports
Brief description
The module introduces and allows students to put into practice techniques used to monitor and undertake research in shallow-water environments in addition to developing skills in the writing of tenders/grant applications, planning, executing, analyzing and reporting of field-based sampling activity. The module will make use of IBERS research vessels.
Aims
To provide students with the skills and experience to undertake shallow-water monitoring/research from tendering through to planning, executing, analyzing and reporting.
Content
Lectures will focus on the following areas: Sampling techniques for studying shallow-subtidal environments; Why monitor - introduction to EU Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Marine Nature Conservation Review and the Biotope approach; Planning and executing research/monitoring; Tendering and applying for grants; Writing contract reports.
Tutorial 1 Discussion on experimental design and how to analyse the data collected
Tutorial 2 Discussion on the development of tenders
Field week: During this week students will get the opportunity to employ a range of techniques used for sampling shallow-water environments e.g. box coring, trawls, Baited remote underwater video. They will then execute the sampling plan that they developed in their tenders. Students will then analyse their data before writing up the project as a contract report.
NOTE: While every effort will be made to find sheltered locations to undertake fieldwork and we have chosen Easter to run the field element as it is likely to be less stormy. If the field element is blown out due to bad weather contingency will be in place to ensure students are able to complete the contract report element of the assessment in terms of sampling intertidally, in freshwater habitats or using data collected previously.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | The biological/chemical data collected with be analysed quantitatively using a variety of univariate and multivariate techniques. |
| Communication | These are target skills for this module. The course is specifically designed to encourage communication, critical thinking, and literacy in a 'job relevant' manner. Assessed in particular via the mini lectures, tender and contract report assessments, but also in the other assessments. Students will also need to demonstrate good communication during the field week as they will be working in groups to collect the data. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The two tutorial sessions have been specifically incorporated to provide student-led learning and also to provide formative feedback prior to submission of the experimental design and tender assessments. |
| Information Technology | The students will be using IT in all their assessments. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | This is a central aim of the module. Students will develop a range of skills that are attractive to employers in academia, environmental agencies, consultancies and eNGO's. |
| Problem solving | Through all the coursework students will be challenged to identify and solve complex problems-assessed through semester assessments. |
| Research skills | For the lectures/seminars students will have assigned reading from the primary scientific literature and 'applied grey literature'. In particular the students will have to broad range of sources for the mini-lecture, tender and contract report assessments. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Skills relevant to a employability and a career in the aquatic sciences |
| Team work | During the field week students will be working in teams to collect their data in an effective manner. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5