Postgraduate Course: Corals in a Changing Ocean (PGGE11231)
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 | In this course, we use corals as a focal point to explore how global conventions and other international frameworks help to govern marine biodiversity and human activities in an era of rapid climate change. In doing so, this course covers foundations in both tropical and cold-water (deep-sea) coral biology, ecology, geology, and corals as sentinels of climate change. Then by viewing coral ecosystems more holistically as SES, the course explores the human dimension: ecosystem services, impacts of human activities, protected areas and co-management frameworks, climate resilience-building approaches, and international policies in place to protect and manage these ecosystems including voluntary commitments to Sustainable Development Goals.
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| Course description |
i. Weekly lectures: each week, a Course Lecturer will give talks on a range of subjects to give the student the breadth of knowledge needed to understand coral ecosystems as as socio-ecological systems, their biology, ecology and geological development and use as environmental archives (proxies), threats from climate change and human pressures, governance of key issues and solutions to these challenges. Expert guest lecturers from our global network may also be scheduled to reflect the latest advances in a topic.
ii. Tutor Groups: for most weeks, lectures will be supplemented by practical skills sessions and or discussion groups.
iii. Class activity and report: The knowledge base and skills developed over the first 9 weeks will help prepare the class for a real-world governance process in managing coral ecosystems in a changing ocean, a Parliamentary Select Committee. In the UK, the Science and Technology Committee (STC) helps ensure that UK government policy and decision-making are based on robust scientific advice and evidence. By Week 8, each student will choose a role in the STC, either as a Member of Parliament (MP) or as a witness. MPs and witnesses prepare White Papers and Briefings, respectively. To support their case, all students will also present their own White Paper or Briefing in Week 11.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2020/21, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 24,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 3,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 3,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
70 %,
Practical Exam
30 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework: 100%
Practical assessment (role playing activity): 30%
Report (following role playing activity): 70% |
| Feedback |
Feedback given for all coursework. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand how coevolved, grow, aspects of their biology, ecology and geology, and how they can be used to reconstruct climate and the physical environment
- Design experiments to assess coral health and biodiversity
- Understand the ecosystem services and goods provided by corals and threats posed by human activities;
- Recognise potential threats to coral ecosystems and solutions to overcome these;
- Identify key policies and instruments to protect coral ecosystems in the tropics and deep sea
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Reading List
1. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2014). An Updated Synthesis of the Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity (Eds: S. Hennige, J.M. Roberts & P. Williamson). Montreal, Technical Series No. 75, 99 pages
2. Rachel Wood. Reef Evolution.Oxford University Press
3. Murray Roberts et al. Cold Water Corals. The biology and geography of deep sea coral habitats. Cambridge University Press
4. Sheppard S, Simon Davy S, Pilling G, Graham N. 2017. The Biology of Coral Reefs (Second Edition). Oxford University Press, 384 pp |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Graduates will gain a deeper understanding of the geology, biology and ecology of corals and the ecosystems they create, and the environmental and societal implications of how climate change and human activities impact these ecosystems. Skills attained will include applied scientific methods for assessing coral health and habitats; critical thinking in approaches to policy and management relevant to corals and changing oceans. |
| Keywords | Corals,Climate Change,Changing Oceans |
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 |
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