Last modified: 20 Jun 2022 13:20
This is a marine biological field course to the Millport Field Centre on the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. The course normally includes surveying one or more rocky shores and a scientifically renowned sandy shore, sampling seabed organisms from a research vessel, and a short group project carried out over two days.
Through the various field and laboratory activities and close interaction with course staff, you will deepen your knowledge of marine environments and associated biota, and strengthen your field skills and your abilities in species identification, data collection, analysis, presentation and teamwork.
Dates for 2022-23 TBC
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This field course will be held based at the Millport Field Centre on the Isle of Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde. The centre, run by the Field Studies Council, is located on an island which is a ten-minute ferry crossing from the mainland terminal at Largs. The island and has a variety of types of coastal habitat within easy reach of the field centre and the biota is correspondingly varied. Being within the enclosed waters of the Firth of Clyde the habitats are comparatively sheltered and safe.
The Field Centre provides modern accommodation and classrooms for lectures/seminars and labwork to process field samples. The centre also has a small research vessel, which provides an opportunity for you to experience working at sea in the sheltered waters around the island, and to see oceanographic and navigational instruments and sublittoral sampling devices first hand.
There is a long history of research and teaching at Millport (a marine station was first established in 1885) and you will follow in the footsteps of generations of biologists in learning about coastal organisms and habitats, and the methods used to study them in the field.
Details of the course content may be affected by weather and tides, but it is expected that the course will include surveying at least one rocky shore and a scientifically renowned sandy shore, sampling and examination of seabed organisms from a research vessel, and a short group project run over two days. Most activities involve follow-up work in a laboratory classroom.
You will keep a field notebook as a record of your work, and on the last evening of the course, contribute to a group presentation on your mini-project. Feedback is provided on both of these.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the course you should be able to:
| Description | Value |
|---|---|
| Please note that there is an associated cost for this field course which will be confirmed with students as soon as possible. | 0.0000 |
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 42,43,44 | Feedback Weeks | ||
| Feedback |
Informal verbal feedback will be provided on the day, written group feedback will be provided through the VLE |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Give an account of the main components of phyto- and zooplankton present in the local area at the time of the field course; |
| Procedural | Analyse | Analyse and present marine field data |
| Procedural | Apply | Use keys to identify and classify the common species found on rocky and sandy shores and the sea bed in the local area of the field course; |
| Procedural | Apply | Describe and safely execute appropriate sampling methods for the biota of rocky shores, sandy shores and nearshore seabed; |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 42,43 | Feedback Weeks | 43,44 | |
| Feedback |
Group, generic feedback provided on the day, individualised written feedback provided through the VLE following return to Aberdeen |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Give an account of the main components of phyto- and zooplankton present in the local area at the time of the field course; |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Discuss the factors affecting zonation of littoral organisms; |
| Conceptual | Understand | Describe the adaptations and ecological role of representative species and understand the main factors influencing their distribution; |
| Procedural | Apply | Use keys to identify and classify the common species found on rocky and sandy shores and the sea bed in the local area of the field course; |
| Procedural | Apply | Describe and safely execute appropriate sampling methods for the biota of rocky shores, sandy shores and nearshore seabed; |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 42 | Feedback Weeks | 43 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback will be provided through the VLE. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Give an account of the main components of phyto- and zooplankton present in the local area at the time of the field course; |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Discuss the factors affecting zonation of littoral organisms; |
| Conceptual | Understand | Describe the adaptations and ecological role of representative species and understand the main factors influencing their distribution; |
| Procedural | Analyse | Analyse and present marine field data |
| Procedural | Apply | Describe and safely execute appropriate sampling methods for the biota of rocky shores, sandy shores and nearshore seabed; |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | Produce accurate, annotated drawings of marine organisms; |
| Procedural | Apply | Describe and safely execute appropriate sampling methods for the biota of rocky shores, sandy shores and nearshore seabed; |
| Conceptual | Understand | Describe the adaptations and ecological role of representative species and understand the main factors influencing their distribution; |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Give an account of the main components of phyto- and zooplankton present in the local area at the time of the field course; |
| Procedural | Analyse | Analyse and present marine field data |
| Procedural | Apply | Use keys to identify and classify the common species found on rocky and sandy shores and the sea bed in the local area of the field course; |
| Reflection | Create | Interact with others in the execution of team-based fieldwork |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Discuss the factors affecting zonation of littoral organisms; |
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