Τμήμα Ωκεανογραφίας και Θαλασσίων Βιοεπιστημών

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Coastal and Transitional Ecosystems
School:
Of the Environment
Academic Unit:
Department of Marine Sciences
Level of studies:
Undergraduate
Course Code:
191ΘΔ32Ε
Semester:
Ε
Course Title:
Coastal and Transitional Ecosystems
Credits
5
Course Type:
Specialized general knowledge
Prerequisite Courses:
–
Language of Instruction and Examinations:
English in the absence of Erasmus students, the course can be taught in Greek
Is the course offered to Erasmus students:
Yes
  • (2) Learning Outcomes
  • Learning Outcomes

«Knowledge» level

The students will acquire basic state-of-the-art knowledge on the following subjects in relation to the ecology of coastal and transitional waters ecosystems:

  • Ecosystem structure and functioning

  • Field techniques

  • Ecosystem uses

  • Analysis of biological communities (biological diversity measurement, multivariate analysis of ecological data)

  • Assessment of the impacts of human activities on ecosystem status

  • Assessment of the Ecological Quality Status of the environment with benthic biotic indices, in compliance with national and European environmental legislation

«Skills» level

The students will be able to perform:

  • search, analysis and synthesis of data and information with the use of the necessary technology

  • sampling design, field work, lab and data analyses of biological communities

  • interpretation and synthesis of the results of their analyses

aiming to comprehend and solve problems pertaining to:

  • the structure and functioning of ecosystems

  • the impacts of human pressures on ecosystem status

  • the management of ecosystems and biological resources

  • the assessment of the Ecological Quality Status of the environment with benthic biotic indices.

«Competences» level

The students will be competent:

  • in complex technical or professional activities or work plans within the scientific field of the course

  • in decision-making and working independently in work and educational environments

  • to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to experts as well as to laymen

  • General Competences

The course aims to assist the students acquire the following general competences as degree-holders:

  • Search for, analysis and synthesis of data and information, with the use of the necessary technology

  • Adapting to new situations

  • Decision-making

  • Working independently

  • Team work

  • Working in an international environment

  • Working in an interdisciplinary environment

  • Production of new research ideas

  • Project planning and management

  • Respect for the natural environment

  • Criticism and self-criticism

  • Production of free, creative and inductive thinking

  • (3) Syllabus

Theory classes

  • Introduction to the ecology of coastal and transitional waters ecosystems and the field methodology of their study (6h class).

  • Organisms – environment interactions in estuarine ecosystems (3h class).

  • Coastal lagoons ecology – planktonic and benthic communities (6h class).

  • Coastal lagoons uses: solar saltworks (3h class).

  • Coastal lagoons uses: aquaculture – fisheries (3h class).

  • Introduction to the biological diversity (species, taxonomic, functional diversity), methods of measurement and estimation of biological diversity (6h class).

  • Multivariate analysis of biological communities: similarity coefficients, clustering analyses (CLUSTER, FCM), ordination analyses (PCA, NMDS, CCA), statistical hypothesis testing (ANOSIM, PERMANOVA) (6h class).

  • Management of coastal and transitional waters ecosystems: Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, benthic biotic indices (AMBI/M-AMBI, BENTIX, BOPA), marine aggregates mining environmental impacts assessment (6h class).

Lab classes

  • Laboratory analysis of phytoplankton and soft substrate benthic macrofauna, mining of information from Internet sources (e.g. WoRMS, MedOBIS, FishBase)

  • Assessment of the Ecological Quality Status of coastal and transitional waters ecosystems with benthic biotic indices and dedicated software (AMBI/M-AMBI, ΒΕΝΤΙΧ indices)

  • (4) Teaching and Learning Methods - Evaluation
  • Delivery:

Face-to-face

  • Use of Information and Communication Technology:

Use of ICT in teaching and laboratory education (dedicated software, information and data sources in the Internet), communication with students (University of the Aegean open e-Class e-learning platform)

  • Teaching Methods:
Activity Semester workload
Lectures
39
Lectures-Seminars
8
Study and analysis of bibliography
26
Practical project
10
Presentation of the project
2
Independent study of the course theory
37
Final exam
3
Course total
125
  • Student Performance Evaluation:

  • The language of evaluation is Greek or English (for the Erasmus students)

  • The evaluation is based on the grade of the final exams (70%) and the grade of the essay (30%)

  • The final exams are based on short-answer questions and multiple-choice questionnaires

  • In special cases, for students with disabilities, evaluation takes place via oral examination

  • The exam paper is accessible to the students for clarifications regarding the final grade

  • (5) Attached Bibliography

Suggested bibliography:

  • Barnes R.S.K., 1994. The brakish–Water Fauna of Northwestern Europe. Cambridge University Press.

  • Clarke, K.R. & Gorley, R.N., 2006. PRIMER v6: User Manual/Tutorial. PRIMER-E, Plymouth.

  • Clarke, K.R. & Warwick R.M., 2001. Change in marine communities: an approach to statistical analysis and interpretation, 2nd edition. PRIMER-E, Plymouth.

  • Dobson M. & Frid C., 1998. Ecology of Aquatic Systems. Longman.

  • Gray J., 2003. ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΑ ΟΙΚΟΛΟΓΙΑ Εισαγωγή στη δομή και λειτουργία των βενθικών κοινοτήτων: Μια προσέγγιση δια των ιζημάτων. Ελευθερίου Α. και Α. Κούκουρας (Επιμ. Ελληνικής Έκδοσης), UNIVERSITY STUDIO PRESS, 276 Σελ.

  • Καρανδεινός, Μ.Γ., 2007. Ποσοτικές οικολογικές μέθοδοι. Πανεπιστημιακές Εκδόσεις Κρήτης.

  • Kjerfve B., 1994. Coastal Lagoon Processes. Elsevier.

  • Κουτσούμπας, Δ., 2003. Υφάλμυρα Οικοσυστήματα. Πανεπιστημιακές Σημειώσεις, 94 Σελ.

  • Κουτσούμπας, Δ., 2015. Εκβολές: εκεί που οι ποταμοί συναντούν την θάλασσα. Θαλάσσια Βιολογία. Ε.Βουλτσιάδου (Επιμ. Ελληνικής  Έκδοσης), UTOPIA, 616 Σελ.

  • McLusky D.S. & Elliott M., 2004. The Estuarine Ecosystem. Ecology, Threats and Management. Oxford.

  • Magurran, A.E., 2003. Measuring Biological Diversity. Blackwell.

Related academic journals: