Postgraduate Course: Sustainable Marine Development (PGGE11253)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The Sustainable Marine Development course builds on the Marine Ecosystems and Policies (MEP) course taken in Term 1. MEP focused on marine ecosystems and the policies in place to conserve them, through the lens of the scientist and policy-maker across different marine biomes, policy scales and societal perspectives. In Term 2, Sustainable Marine Development examines the sustainability of ocean exploitation through the lens of the practitioner. Students will explore different marine planning processes and real-world case studies of their application to sustainable marine development. These planning processes aim for the sustainable use and protection of marine resources against sociopolitical drivers for growth of the blue economy (industries with high potential for socioeconomic growth e.g., fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, seabed mining, maritime and coastal tourism, and blue biotechnology. Lectures, interactive class activities and groupwork will introduce and demonstrate in practice several key marine planning processes, decision-making tools to support them, and a local field trip to a marine development is also being planned. The goal is that by the end of the course, students will have the skills and breadth of knowledge needed to enter into a spectrum of practitioner roles, and to critically evaluate marine planning processes being used worldwide that aim for sustainable ocean development.
Marine biodiversity, animal behaviour, habitat condition, and ecosystem connectivity have been significantly altered by ocean exploitation and development. Although the blue economy of securing wealth from the oceans is luring, we know that fisheries have radically transformed marine food webs and habitats worldwide, while touristic shorelines, wildlife watching, and aquaculture development illustrate a historic creep or ¿ocean sprawl¿ in our coastal zones. Advances in technology enable humankind to explore the ocean at unprecedented scales including discovery of molecular genetic resources, but technology enables exploitation of marine resources such as oil and gas resources and offshore wind in deeper more remote waters, with mining of deep-sea mineral resources on the world¿s horizon. The blue economy may also present new opportunities for marine conservation e.g., ecotourism and citizen science opportunities, benefits from drug discovery, or by the introduction of new habitats that help connect or sustain sharks, seabirds and marine mammals.
The planning processes by which marine sectors are allowed to proceed is often isolated in space and time, unable to capture the incremental and cumulative picture of impacts, lacking in public participation, and not adaptive for climate change. Many players are involved, including private industries, governments, non-governmental organisations, community groups, and academia. Students will learn about, and critique, various processes that take place locally, nationally and internationally that strive for sustainable development of our seas and oceans, including: Marine Spatial Planning, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment, and Marine Wildlife Codes of Conduct. Delivered this way, the Sustainable Marine Development course integrates marine ecology, conservation, regulation and ocean governance against the backdrop of the blue economy.
|
| Course description |
The Sustainable Marine Development course has 5 components:
i. Lectures on a marine planning process: in-class lectures to introduce the process (Marine Spatial Planning, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment, Marine Wildlife Codes of Conduct) including any regulatory aspects, and real-world case studies of their application in practice;
ii. Introduction to decision-making tools: a unique expert-led session that introduces the use of data portals such as EMODnet (European Marine Observation and Data Network) and Scotland¿s NMPi (Marine Scotland Maps National Marine Plan interactive) to create maps for use in marine planning;
iii. Class activities: in-class groupwork to illustrate each process and the challenges around it;
iv. Group project: in-class presentation of marine planning in practice. Each group (4-6 students each) represents a different stakeholder group, and will contribute to a class-wide Strategic Environmental Assessment of Scotland¿s Marine Plan as it relates to marine tourism;
v. Blue papers: students will write an essay-style paper that explores and critiques a real-world case study of a marine planning process.
|
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2019/20, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework 100%
The marked assessments include a group presentation for 10% of the total mark (given as a single group mark), and an individual 'Blue Papers' for 90% of the course total.
Flexible Learning Week ¿ submit Blue Paper concept to LEARN
Week 6 ¿ submit Group powerpoint presentation to LEARN
Week 6 ¿ present Group project in class
Week 11 ¿ submit Blue Paper powerpoint to LEARN
Week 11 ¿ submit Blue Paper to LEARN
|
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Apply critical thinking and analytical understanding of diverse drivers and impacts aorund marine environmental assessments and project management
- Apply this critical thinking to real-world scenarios following exposure to different NGOs, industry and government perspectives on marine infrastructure projects and projections
- Apply stronger organisation skills to plan, execute and report on scientific investigation and management evaluations.
- Participate in individual and team activities toward the completion of assignments and goals.
- Develop critical thinking with regard to the evaluation of sources of information, the feasiblity of management options and interpretation of outcomes
|
Reading List
WEEK 1
Introduction to the course and overview
Essential
- Bulleri and Chapman (2010) The introduction of coastal infrastructure as a driver of change in marine environments. Journal of Applied Ecology 47: 26-35
- Read Europe's Blue Growth Strategy and communication documents
https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/blue_growth_en
https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/sites/maritimeaffairs/files/docs/body/com_2012_494_en.pdf
WEEK 2
Aquaculture & Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)
Essential
- Read and Fernandes (2003) Management of environmental impacts of marine aquaculture in Europe. Aquaculture 226: 139-163
- Review the European Union's MSP Directive
http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/maritime_spatial_planning/index_en.htm
WEEK 3
Ocean Energy & Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
Essential
- Boehlert and Gill (2010) Environmental and ecological effects of ocean renewable energy development: a current synthesis. Oceanography 23: 68-81
- Willsteed et al. (2017) Assessing the cumulative environmental effects of marine renewable energy developments: Establishing common ground. Science of the Total Environment 577: 19-32.
- Review the EU website on SEA Directive
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/sea-legalcontext.htm
WEEK 4
Deep Seabed Mining & Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Essential
- Durden et al. (2018) Environmental Impact Assessment process for deep-sea mining in 'the Area'. Marine Policy 87: 194-202
- Jaeckel et al. (2016) Sharing benefits of the common heritage of mankind - Is the deep seabed mining regime ready? Marine Policy 70: 198-204
- Read the EU website on the EIA Directive
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eia/review.htm
- Read UK Government, Marine Licensing - Impact Assessments
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/marine-licensing-impact-assessments
WEEK 5
Marine and Coastal Tourism & Marine Wildlife Codes of Conduct
Essential
- Gossling et al. (2018) Coastal and Ocean Tourism. In: Salomon M., Markus T. (eds) Handbook on Marine Environment Protection. Springer, Cham
- Trave et al. (2017) Are we killing them with kindness? Evaluation of sustainable marine wildlife tourism. Biological Conservation 209: 211-222
WEEK 6
Blue Biotechnology & Expert Access & Benefit Sharing of Marine Genetic Resources
Essential Reading
- Blasiak et al. (2018) Corporate control and global governance of marine genetic resources. Science Advances 4: eaar5237.
- Day et al. (2016), Blue Biotechnology. Commonwealth Blue Economy Report Series, No. 5. Commonwealth Secretariat: London
- Lallier et al. (2014) Access to and use of marine genetic resources: understanding the legal framework. Natural Product Reports 31: 612-616 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will acquire and develop the following transferable skills:
1. General critical thinking and analytical understanding of diverse drivers and impacts around coastal marine environmental assessments and project management.
2. Exposure to different NGO, industry and government perspectives on marine infrastructure projects and projections.
3. Organisation skills to plan, execute and report on scientific investigation and management evaluations.
4. To participate in individual and team activities toward the completion of assignments and goals.
5. Critical thinking with regard to the evaluation of sources of information, the feasibility of management options and interpretation of outcomes. |
| Keywords | Marine Infrastructure,built environments,project development,mitigation,environmental change |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Lea-Anne Henry
Tel: (0131 6)50 5425
Email: L.Henry@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Kathryn Will
Tel: (0131 6)50 2624
Email: Kath.Will@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage