Postgraduate Zoology 2019-2020

Effective engagement with conservation of marine biodiversity requires an open mind, creativity, patience and an appreciation of shared learning.  This course is structured to help you develop those essential skills while building your understanding of current issues in marine conservation and how conservation professionals engage with these issues. 

This course will provide a background to current coastal zone management issues, and an opportunity to explore how scientific data can be used to support management at the University’s Lighthouse Field Station at Cromarty.  Key case studies will involve an exploration of the management and research requirements for Special Areas of Conservations; marine protected areas that have been established under the European Habitats Directive to protect bottlenose dolphins, harbour seals and salmon.

Using the North Sea as a case study, one of the most well studied marine ecosystems, students will critically evaluate key issues related to the conservation and management of marine resources.

Lectures from marine ecologists, industry consultants and government scientists working in applied marine management provide insights into current issues.

Practical work provides training in data recording and analysis and the feedback received on your scientific report will strengthen your written communication skills.

Class debate will provide an opportunity to strengthen your critical thinking skills and support the development of strong oral communication skills.

The course is structured as a series of weekly themes, which each reflect areas of current research in animal ecology. The content of the course is research-based, drawing on case studies from research-active staff within the School of Biological Sciences. The topics cover a range of ecological and spatial scales: from single species’ population dynamics to community dynamics, and from local to macro-scale processes, with a focus on the application of current ecological knowledge and theory.

In recent decades, concern about environmental damage in different parts of the world has led to public pressure on governments to regulate ‘developers’ and others so as to minimise adverse environmental effects, while allowing economic activities to continue. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been developed as a critical component of the approach to achieving sustainable development. It originated in the USA and has since been incorporated into the EU/UK legislative frameworks. It is therefore important to understand the nature of the EIA process and to be able to select, and use, suitable techniques.

Decommissioning sciences requires students to have a competent and realistic understanding of both marine ecologic and the wider marine ecosystem. This course allows the impact of perturbations associated with offshore activities to be related to biological responses. This will be done using detailed relevant case studies and engagement with regulators.

You develop an appreciation of the level of understanding of the physical and biological oceanography, biodiversity, trophic interactions, species survival and reproduction issues required to implement spatially explicit, sustainable ecosystem-base management, conservation and effective marine spatial planning.

Lectures from marine ecologists, industry consultants and government scientists working in applied marine management provide insights into current issues.

Practical work provides training in use of R, Excel, data analysis and strengthens your written communication skills.

Group and individual working strengthen your critical thinking and problem-solving skills and support the development of strong oral communication.

You will take a comparative perspective to develop an understanding of how marine mammals live in the Anthropocene through a series of lectures, practicals and assessments.

Field visits and practical sessions will provide opportunities to develop skills and expertise in identification and comparative anatomy and taxonomy.

Through a student-lead learning approach, you will gain skills in collaborative work and time management and apply your knowledge and understanding of marine mammals to problems related to their ecology and conservation.

The course, which includes a significant contribution from Marine Scotland’s Science’s Marine Laboratory Aberdeen, introduces students to the essential elements of fisheries science. It consists of three main sections: fishing technology and behaviour, fishery independent methods, and stock assessment techniques. Ultimately it will equip students with the basic knowledge and skills required to assess the abundance and distribution of fish and to understand key elements of the provision of advice for fisheries management.

Lectures by research staff working in aquaculture provide you with specialised knowledge in a range of current issues, including growth, nutrition, health and disease resistance, genetics and environmental interactions.

Preparation for seminars and the essay allow you to direct your own learning and explore methods and current advances in your chosen topic.

Participation in the seminars helps you to develop your communication skills and provides you with feedback on your understanding of the issues.

This course involves executing and writing-up an independent research project on a topic relevant to the remit of the programme. In consultation with their supervisor(s), students formulate one or more testable hypotheses, design an investigative approach suitable for testing those hypotheses, analyse the data, and interpret the results.

The three-month individual Research Project can cover any area of marine conservation and is undertaken under the supervision of a member of staff who is an expert in your chosen field.  Many projects are also done in collaboration with an external organisation. The project provides opportunities for you to develop your abilities and skills, generate hypotheses and design ways of testing them and to analyse, report and discuss your findings. You will learn to take responsibility for implementing your own plans and modifying them as necessary. The project is written up in the form of a scientific paper manuscript.

The three-month individual Research Project can cover any area of applied marine and fisheries ecology and is undertaken under the supervision of a staff member who is expert in your chosen field.  Many projects are also done in collaboration with an external organisation. The project provides opportunities for you to develop your abilities and skills, generate hypotheses and design ways of testing them and to analyse, report and discuss your findings. You will learn to take responsibility for implementing your own plans and modifying them as necessary. The project is written up in the form of a scientific paper manuscript.