Høst 2015

BIO-3015 Arctic Marine System Ecology and Climate Change - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for arktisk og marin biologi

Type of course

Master course for biology students - principally aimed at MSc-students specializing in "Marine Ecology and Biodiversity". The course is available as a singular course.

Course contents

The course provides an introduction to marine system ecology and climate change in the Arctic Ocean. It describes the physics of the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas, for both water and ice, and how climate change alters them. The course introduces important key organisms, life history strategies, habitats and ecosystems of the Arctic Ocean. Coupling between organisms and habitats are discussed with respect to organisms and energy flow, and also how physical processes determine the preconditions for species and productivity, today and in the near future. An important aspect is how anthropogenic impact and management influence arctic marine systems. Students will be introduced to a wide range of examples on system ecological response to climate change in the Arctic Ocean, ranging from microbial organisms to fish, including biogeochemical cycles.

Application deadline

Applicants from Nordic countries: 1 June for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester. Concerns only admission to singular courses.Applicants from outside the Nordic countries: 1 October for the spring semester and 15 April for the autumn semester.

Admission requirements

Local admission , application code 9371 - - Master`s level singular course.

Admission requires a Bachelor`s degree (180 ECTS) in biology or equivalent qualification in biology.

Recommended skills corresponding to courses Bio-2010 Marine Ecology and Bio-2516 Ocean climate.

Objective of the course

The course builds knowledge on:

The concept of marine systems ecology
Physical oceanography, climate and different regions of the Arctic
Physical and chemical forcing of ecosystems
Arctic key organisms, their life history strategies and habitats
How species, processes and habitats are coupled in Arctic systems
Structure and energy flow in ecosystems, including role of parasites
The importance of time scales in studies of ecosystems, animal behaviour, and biogeochemical cycles
Ecological consequences of climate change
Marine pollution and ocean acidification in an ecological context
Anthropogenic impact and management of arctic ecosystems

Skills:

In-depth understanding of the concept system ecology
Ability to understand how physical and chemical forcing impacts arctic marine ecosystems
A thorough understanding of the impact of climate change in the Arctic
Understanding of ecosystem processes in the Arctic Ocean
Understand how changes on one level affect the ecosystem
Understand of the role of ice in marine ecosystems
Understand the role of time-scales for driving forces, organisms, ecosystems and processes

After the course the students should have general competence in:

How changes in one component of the ecosystem or driving forces influence the ecosystem as a whole
How ecosystem knowledge can be built by combining information from single studies of separate compartments and their couplings
Skills in reading and presenting research papers
Ability to evaluate and discuss a broad range of scientific topics related to the Arctic marine environment
The dynamics and processes of arctic marine ecosystems
Principles of knowledge-based resource management
How climate and anthropogenic impact can influence Arctic marine ecosystems

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

3 double lectures per week, 1 seminar per week, 11 weeks duration

66 hours with lectures, 22 hours of seminar and questions, 150 hours of reading literature.

Assessment

Oral exam. A graded scale of five marks from A to E for pass and F for fail.
There will be a re-sit examination for students that did not pass the previous ordinary examination.