Applied Marine Biology, Fisheries And Aquaculture

Description

This course explores how the science of marine biology is applied to understanding and managing human interactions with marine life. Humans affect and are affected by marine organisms in diverse ways through a wide range of activities in estuaries, seas and oceans. Understanding the processes leading to these effects and the consequences for both nature and humans is necessary to manage them well. This is the field of applied marine biology, which typically requires a multidisciplinary approach. Historically, major areas of marine biology have developed in response to the need to understand and manage ‘applied’ issues: activities or processes with practical, commercial or welfare consequences for humans, such as fisheries, aquaculture, biofouling, pollution and, more recently, other marine industries, the spread of invasive non-native species, conservation of marine biodiversity, and effects of climate change. Applied marine biology draws on several biological disciplines and often involves surveying and measuring physical and chemical aspects of the marine environment. Marine biologists therefore need to work closely with other disciplines, professions, industries and the public to understand the characteristics of human activities and how they interact with the marine environment and marine biota. The word “interact” is used here because human activities can both impact and be impacted marine life. For example, it is well known that populations of marine species may be reduced, or species assemblages degraded, through fishing, pollution or habitat change. Examples of marine life affecting human interests include the growth of marine organisms on ships increasing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, harmful algal blooms causing toxins in seafood, and venomous or predatory marine species posing a threat to people who enter the water for recreational or commercial purposes. This course explains how the science of marine biology can be applied to understand the interactions between human activities and marine environments, habitats and species through exploration of selected topics. Importantly, the course also examines how that understanding can be translated into appropriate management measures. The course is delivered through a combination of talks, field and laboratory practical classes, group work, and guided individual study. The particular topics considered may vary from year to year, but typically include: Environmental impact assessment (EIA): lectures and supplemental material explain the process of assessing the environmental effects of marine ‘developments’ (construction or other activities) and the information requirements for this. EIAs commonly stipulate that there should be monitoring of key environmental features and biota at different stages of the development. In the assignment for this part of the course, student teams act as environmental consultancy companies to bid for a contract to monitor populations of specified groups of m