Module Directory

This module aims to provide a virtually-delivered alternative to in situ field courses that gives students the opportunity to develop core research skills used widely in tropical marine ecology.

The module will focus on practical skills in coral reef surveying, with a particular emphasis on technological alternatives to traditional observational approaches with direct relevance to both further study and employability in the tropical marine research and conservation sector.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with training in practical skills in coral reef surveying, with an emphasis on technological alternatives to traditional observational approaches.


• To provide students with training in how to design and report scientifically robust research.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Describe the key biological features of tropical marine environments.


2. Describe the diversity of species within coral reef systems and explain the causative processes.


3. Identify the major groups and common species of tropical marine organisms.


4. Critically discuss the major issues related to coral reef conservation management.


5. Demonstrate skills in field biology, research design and species identification; and be able to critically evaluate benefits and weakness of key survey techniques.


6. Demonstrate the acquisition new skills for computational analysis of stereo-video surveys for fish community analysis and 3D modelling via structure-from-motion photogrammetry to quantify habitat complexity.


7. Demonstrate competence in effective communication of scientific research using key skills in data presentation, analysis and interpretation, numeracy, information retrieval and written communication.

The huge diversity of life in the tropics (defined as the zone between 23.5°S & N) is emphasised in every ecology and biology book. For biologists brought up in the relatively impoverished temperate zone, seeing and working with tropical habitats is a stunning experience. However, accessing tropical field sites is financially expensive and logistically challenging, whilst current restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made international fieldwork impossible.

Students will briefly experience traditional survey techniques using video footage collected from coral reefs in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific, before completing workshops in novel alternatives such as stereo-video surveys for fish community analysis and 3D modelling via structure-from-motion photogrammetry to quantify habitat complexity.

Students will also have the opportunity to interview a local conservation practitioner to develop an understanding of the unique challenges facing reef management stakeholders, especially in low income countries.

Finally, students will apply their new survey skills to independent mini-research projects, using a combination of unanalysed raw images/video and larger raw data sets to produce a short report in scientific paper format.

The module will be delivered on campus with international NGO Operation Wallacea, who have extensive experience in tropical marine research and in particular have helped pioneer these technological approaches to coral reef surveying.

This module will be delivered via:

• A one-week virtual field course (7 hours per day for 5 consecutive days).

The module will be run on campus in an AV and IT environment allowing the delivery of the module as an interactive workshop with incorporated lectures and associated IT based practical’s, and learning space for group working on mini-projects.