BS710-7-AP-CO:
Coral Reef Biodiversity and Management Field Trip
2023/24
Life Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Autumn & Spring
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 22 March 2024
15
23 April 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
BS706
(none)
(none)
(none)
MSC C16112 Tropical Marine Biology
This module offers the unique opportunity for students to attend an expedition, explore the biodiversity and ecology of coral reefs, and to study and critically examine the process of coral reef conservation management within the remote Wakatobi Marine National Park in Indonesia.
The Wakatobi is situated within the Coral Triangle and is at the centre of the most biodiverse marine environment on Earth. This expedition provides opportunities for dive training and research diving activities. The research centre is ideally located amongst local communities with different traditions and coral reef dependency levels. Communication, both formal and informal, with different stakeholders and community representatives will form a component of the work.
The aims of the field course are to provide students with PADI diving qualification, identification skills for tropical marine organisms (e.g. fish, coral, other invertebrates, mangrove and seagrass), perform EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and to provide training in how to design, implement and report scientifically robust underwater research.
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate proficiency in safe diving or snorkel based practices.
2. Identify the major groups and common species of tropical marine organisms
3. Demonstrate practical skills in coral reef assessment and monitoring, and EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment).
4. Demonstrate skills in research design, implementation and reporting
5. Show competence in team work, data analysis and presentation skills.
6. Demonstrate skills in gathering and interpreting data from a range of local coral reef stakeholders.
Syllabus
1. Seminar: intro to Indonesia field trip
2. IT lab session: admin-Indonesia Opwall portal & PADI medical forms
3. Seminar: Risk, Safety & Cultural Awareness
4. Seminar: Pre-departure meeting
5. Hoga presentations (including risk & health & safety)
6. Check dive (or start dive training for ow)
7. Workshop: dive skills & dive training feedback
8. Class dive skills
9. Dive: Scientific dive skills (or ow training)
10. Class dive skills 2
11. Dive: scientific dive skills 2 (or ow training)
12. Dive skills feedback session
13. Workshop - reviewing major taxa reef primary producers
14. Dive : reef primary producers (or ow training)
15. Workshop continued - reviewing major taxa (major forms)
16. Dive : corals, major forms (or ow training)
17. Workshop feedback – Coral, reviewing major taxa
18. Dive: coral id dive
19. Hard coral workshop
20. Dive : corals: hard deep to shallow (or ow training)
21. Soft coral workshop
22. Dive 3: corals: soft corals (or ow training)
23. Hard & soft coral feedback
24. Dive : fish id dive
25. Survey techniques workshop
26. Degraded site dive
27. Survey workshop degraded site
28. Pristine site dive
29. Survey workshop site comparison
30. Seagrass v mangrove survey techniques workshop
31. Snorkel: seagrass survey
32. Workshop: mangrove and connected systems
33. Snorkel : mangrove survey
34. Survey workshop site comparison
35. EIA workshop
36. EIA dive 1
37. Class feedback corals
38. Dive : optional: biodiversity review (or study for test)
39. EIA workshop summary
40. Dive : optional topic
41. Project planning & group allocation
42. Cultural visit day
43. Workshop: project design
44. Dive : pilot project dive
45. Project planning workshop
46. Research project dive 1
47. Research project dive 2
48. Masters project workshop Q&A
49. Research project dive 3
50. Masters project workshop Q&A
51. Research project dive 4
52. Research project dive 5
53. Research project dive 6
54. Workshop: research project Q&A
55. Research project dive 7
56. Research project dive 8
57. Masters project workshop Q&A
58. Masters project workshop Q&A
59. Research project presentations
3 x Pre-departure seminars + 18 Day Field Trip that comprises:
24 lectures, workshops and feedback sessions
1 stakeholder visit day
Up to 25 in-water sessions including PADI dive training, coral reef diving practicals, and site visit to mangrove forests and sea-grass beds).
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Practical |
Identification Test - To be undertaken during Field Course |
|
50% |
| Practical |
Oral Presentation - To be undertaken during Field Course |
|
50% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Boyd McKew, email: boyd.mckew@essex.ac.uk.
Prof Leanne Hepburn, Dr Boyd McKew, Dr Hannah Epstein, Dr Jon Chamberlain
No
No
Yes
Dr Sebastian Hennige
Available via Moodle
Of 162 hours, 10 (6.2%) hours available to students:
152 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.