On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
1.     Demonstrate knowledge of processes that shape the abundance of marine organisms of wideranging taxa in wide ranging            marine environments
2.     Demonstrate the effect of humans as drivers of marine ecosystem change and itsbiogeographic contingencies and local  
        modifiers          
3.     Demonstrate scientific communication skills, including the conventions in technicalwriting, the structure of scientific papers and         graphical methods forpresenting data
4.     Apply statistical techniques to real data and correctly interpret the outcome
5.     Demonstrate team-oriented management of projects, especially communication with peers
6.     Apply logical observations, theory and hypotheses to shape research questions and therange of different approaches used to         answer them
7.     Develop rigorous sampling designs, plan and successfully complete a research project
8.     Analyse spatial or temporal patterns of variance in responses of taxa
9.     Evaluate whether models that account for these patterns are valid
10.  Synthesise quantitatively validated models with current theory to establish greater insight into either the generality of the theory or refinement of its applicability or predictability

This course demonstrates theory and practice through the direct exposure of logic, experimental design and experience of the natural
environment.  Class activities are supported through field-based observation. Theory and practical aspects will be built from 1 x 2-hour lectures per week, including 1 x 2 hour tutorial per week that focus on problem-solving practical issues of testing theory, and by 1 x 4 hour field experiences per week that implement practice. Scientific method, derivation of hypotheses from theory, designingexperiments to test hypotheses, collecting data, analysis and synthesis, and presentation of results will be overseen  in small group projects during the 4 day field camp (mid-semester break) in which students apply all of these skills and orally present each iteration of their intellectual development (4 x 1 hr during the field camp) with feedback to analyse and write a scientific paper that evaluatesand synthesises the current status of theory. Each component is approached systematically so that at the end of the course all components are brought together through individual reports, group reports and presentations.

A student enrolled in a 6 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 24 hours per week on the studiesrequired.
This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g.,
reading and revision).

Students learn about how to approach some of the key challenges that face the discipline of marine biology. Whilst the diversity of
challenges that found the discipline are covered in Semester 1 (Foundations in Marine Biology), this course (Semester II) acts as a
capstone to show how these challenges are met in modern marine institutions.  The difficulty and solutions to understanding marine phenomena and solving their practical and theoretical problems across multiple spatial and temporal scales are explainedin lectures. Small group learning provides students practical situations to grapple with the logical approach to formulating theory form which hypotheses are derived. This small group leaning connects students to the reality of understanding how to design rigorous observational and experimental research programs, their costs and benefits of simple through complex programs, their relative practical and logistical difficulty and strengths and weakness in providing solutions to managers, government and the general public. Students are taught how to synthesize and present results for scientific forums in which they might find employment.  

Topics include but are not limited to:
experimental design, how to test for species interactions, how to test for abiotic stressors, experimental designs for categorical data, experimental designs for continuous data, pulse and press experiments. 

Lecture topics include:

Physicalforcing in marine environments; Spatial scales and seascapes; Positive and negative biological interactions in the ocean; Top-down and bottom-up ecology and its marine management; Local stressors in the ocean – nutrient pollution and sedimentation; 

Global stressors in the ocean – climate change, temperature and acidification; 

Early life-histories; Habitats – mangroves, saltmarsh and estuaries; Seagrass and nursery habitats; Coral reefs; Fisheriesbiology; and; Marine Protected Areas for Fisheries and biodiversity management

Application of scientific techniques and approaches:

1.Field camp – class and small group learning:
A major practical component of this course will be completed on the compulsory mid-semester field camp at the University’s field station at Coobowie on the lower Yorke Peninsula.  This field camp brings together
all aspects of the course; from identification of a problem for scientific solution, development of theory, derivation of hypotheses,
experimental design and analysis, interpretation and refinement of the theory.  Small group learning and exposure to alternate marine environments with contrasting spatial patterning provides a diversity of challenges within in which students will learn the need to be open to new ways of applying method and the limits of scientific inference. 

2. Coastal or aquarium practicals – small group and individual learning:
The other major practical component of this course centres on the intellectual development of an idea using the skills acquired from the Field Camp.  Students will learn about creativity and theory development that is a fundamental part of the progress of scientificthinking.  By generating outcomes about the patterns or/and processes from field or aquaria, they will be challenged to recognise that this is not the end-point-in science.  The student activity will be to assess how general or more specific the model is and subject it to increased harshness or rigour of test.

Assessment task	Type of assessment	Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes	Hurdle   Yes or No	Outcomes being assessed / achieved	Approximate Timing of Assessment
Presentation (field camp). Graphical Abstracts.	Formative & summative	15%	No	1-7	Week 4 & 8
Presentation (coastal/aquaria studies).  Non-camp.	Formative & summative	15%	No	1-7	Week 12
Field trip report (field camp)	Formative & summative	20%	No	1-7	Week 10
Progression report (coastal/aquaria studies).  Non-camp.	Summative	20%	No	1-7	Week 12
Exam	Summative	30%	No	1-7	Exam Period

Project presentation (field camp) (10%)

The class project represents a series of observations and experiments conducted by everyone in the class to demonstrate
logic, design, collection and analysis of data. This field and practical component occurs during the first half of the course to teach students how to carry out the different aspects behind research. Student oral communication and ability to ensure the logical integrity between each step, including interpretation will be assessed by an individual oral presentation. This involves three successive presentations of 30 minutes length presented within research groupings on each of three days (1.5 hours)
during the camp.

 Project presentation (coastal/aquaria studies) (10%)

These presentations build on the skills acquired in the field camp to create new knowledge and progress its generality,
specificity and rigour.  Student oral communication is individually assessed on the ability to synthesize, evaluate and intellectually progress evidence-based theory.  These presentations will be assessed at the end of the semester through individual class presentations.

 Field Trip Report (30%)

Students will be required to submit a report on scientific activities on the compulsory mid-semester field camp. This report will take the form of a scientific paper of approximately 2500 words and will have strict guidelines that will be announced in class and posted on MyUni. The report will be written in the same groups that complete the research project on the camp. All students within the group will receive the same mark for the report. Students who do not attend the field camp will be required to write an essay that requires comparable intellectual and temporal investment as expended by students on the camp. Details about the essay guidelines will be provided in class. 

 Progression Report (20%)

Assessment will be on the progression of knowledge created by the students as part of their field experience (11 x 4 hour sessions).  Assessment will centre on test of generality, specificity and rigour. Models will be assessed on predictive improvements to how general or more specific the model applies or how rigorously it was subjected to increased harshness of test.  The evaluation of these components is a report using field or aquarium data collected by individuals or small groups and it is handed in individually with a length of approximately 2,000 words.  Tutorials provide students with the problem solving skills and challenges needed to advance knowledge creation.

Final Exam (30%)

essay type answers

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply.  A penalty of 10% of the value of the
assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.