MARS2006/2906: Marine Ecosystems and Geomorphology

MARS 2006 Marine Ecosystems and Geomorphology
MARS 2906 Marine Ecosystems and Geomorphology (Advanced)
Dr Adele Pile, Assoc. Prof Roz Hinde and Dr Peter Cowell

Session: July
Prerequisites: See Science Faculty Handbook
Classes: 3 lectures per week, fieldwork.
Assessment: 40% coursework and 60% exam

This Unit is split into two sections: marine ecosystems and coastal geomorphology. The marine ecosystem section describes some of the ways that the properties of the oceans affect marine organisms. It also introduces coral reefs and other marine ecosystems, together with their productivity, biological oceanography, the reproductive biology of marine organisms, and marine biological resources. The second section provides an introduction to coastal geomorphology by examining the geographic variability of coasts as the sum effect of variations in terrestrial, climatic and oceanographic factors. These factors are introduced in terms of the main physical processes (geology, sea-level, waves, tides, winds) governing coastal geomorphology on a range of space-time scales. Geographic variation in the physical processes is illustrated by reference to the local coast: i.e., Sydney. The illustration is amplified by drawing comparisons with other parts of SE Australia, and with overseas examples (especially from coastal environments very different to that of Sydney).