Module Information

This week long residential field course (based at the Dale Fort Field Studies Centre, Pembrokeshire) will introduce students to the management of temperate coastal, estuarine and wetland ecosystems through the development of existing skills applied in a management context. The course will comprise of field visits to a range of freshwater and marine areas including the Millennium Wetlands in Llanelli (WWT reserve), Teifi marshes (WTSWW), and both industrial and conversation areas within the catchment of the Milford Haven waterway and the Pembrokeshire Marine SAC.
Emphasis will be placed on management strategies (e.g. stakeholder concepts and no-take zones). Students will learn to consider the effectiveness of monitoring strategies in the light of current European legislation. The integrated nature of different ecosystems will be stressed throughout as will multiple demands by a range of user groups.
The coursework will encourage students to apply skills developed in previous modules to evaluate current and formulate new management plans. Throughout the course attention will be drawn to the multiple demands placed on different aquatic ecosystems by different conservation and recreational groups, leading to the development of complex regional, national and global management plans. Students will have the opportunity to meet relevant consultants, industrial contacts and staff from conservation agencies to foster an understanding of the importance of liaison between such groups in the planning of new developments as well as the monitoring of current developments e.g. the petrochemical/power industry in Milford Haven.