Master in Marine Science & Climate Change

Program Overview

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Master in Marine Science & Climate Change

KEY FACTS

• Faculty: School of Marine and Environmental Sciences
• Study Options: Full Time
• Start Date: Sept 2025
• Level: Postgraduate
• Course Length: 1 Year
• Qualification: MSc
• Fees: All Students: £8,785

About this programme

Designed and delivered by expert academics and scientists, this full-time interdisciplinary programme blends theoretical study with practical, field-based work. You will cover specialist subject areas and gain the skills required to tackle the complex issues associated with the sustainable development of marine ecosystems.

As well as access to cutting-edge facilities and learning resources at our Europa Point Campus, the iconic Straits of Gibraltar, a unique location for marine biological research, provides a natural laboratory for your studies. The Straits, and their surrounding area, have long been recognised for their marine biodiversity.

You are able to choose full, or part-time study and have the freedom to choose your exit award (Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma or full Master’s Degree). Take a look at our past Dissertation abstracts and list of Research topics on The School Of Marine and Environmental Sciences page.

Our graduates have gone on to embark on PhDs, work for Government Departments, environmental NGOs and marine consultancies.

Career Spotlight

Designed and delivered by expert academics and scientists, this full-time interdisciplinary programme blends theoretical study with practical, field-based work.

You will cover specialist subject areas and gain the skills required to tackle the complex issues associated with the sustainable development of marine ecosystems.

Our Past Valedictorians

Read what our two most recent Valedictorians had to say about their experience on the Master in Marine Science & Climate Change programme and at the University of Gibraltar.

• "The programme offered a wealth of learning opportunities, allowing me to expand my knowledge in a field I am truly passionate about. Conducting research on manta rays in Mozambique enabled me to apply my newly acquired knowledge and skills and contribute to local conservation efforts." - Jule Buschmann, School of Marine and Environmental Science Graduate
• "Studying at the University of Gibraltar meant learning somewhere surrounded by coastline, practical classes on your doorstep and research topics that can actually make an impact. I am thankful for everything I learnt during my time here, not only academically but from the people that I had the opportunity to work with. I have taken everything I learned with me into my career in marine conservation where I now work for a Turtle Rehabilitation and Coral Restoration organisation in the Maldives." - Bethany Louisa Lesley Wilkinson, School of Marine and Environmental Science Graduate

Student Perspectives

• Viviane Wiedecke
• Guilherme Rosado
• Frances M. Miranda Soler
• Arianna Talas
• Jule Buschmann
• Lucy Darby
• Mariela Perez Ponzanelli
• Nadine Mauch
• Patricia Vidal Geraldino
• Teagan Miller
• Tess Beckwith
• Bethany Wilkinson
• John Yanez Dobson
• Livia Lang
• Michael Simmons
• Adrianna Proetta
• Ivan Hernandez
• Albert Gonzalez
• Maïté Kesteleyn
• Francine Pons
• Petros Dimitriou
• Emma Hall

Internship Opportunities

Interested in gaining research experience or conducting a research placement abroad? The School of Marine and Environmental Science at the University of Gibraltar can host visiting research students currently enrolled on a marine or environmental science degree (or equivalent). This internship opportunity provides students with a comprehensive training programme to provide participants with hands-on experience, knowledge, skills, and research opportunities in marine or environmental science.

Photo Gallery

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Expert Teaching

The MSc Marine Science & Climate Change teaching team brings together a multi-disciplinary group of internationally-recognised specialists in the area of Marine Science and Climate Change who have extensive expertise in developing and delivering academic programmes in the marine sciences.

• Awantha Dissanayake
• Jaime Davies
• Darren Fa
• Samantha Slisarenko

Modules

The programme is based on a series of modules in increasing levels of specialism.

1. The first part of the programme will focus on oceanography and marine biology, research skills and methods, marine conservation, sustainability and management of marine ecosystems (students could exit the programme with a Postgraduate Certificate upon completion at this stage or progress).
2. The second part will concentrate on climate-change impacts, particularly climate change adaptation and ecosystem-based disaster-risk reduction (students could exit the programme with a Postgraduate Diploma upon completion at this stage or progress).
3. The final section of the Masters programme will involve an independent and original research project, which will be assessed via dissertation and viva.

You will undertake your research project working directly with researchers at the University of Gibraltar and potential external specialists. It may be possible to carry out your research project abroad.

Semester 1

• Marine Biology, Ecosystems and Conservation
• Oceanographic processes
• Research Skills & Methods (Sciences and Social Sciences)
• Coastal Zone Management: Area Based Marine Tools

Semester 2

• Marine Systems and Sustainability
• Advanced Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation
• Ecological Disaster Risk Reduction
• Capstone

Semester 3

• Independent research-based project

Dissertations

Explore previous cohorts dissertations via the drop-down menu below:

2024

• Name: Andras Gyetvai, Dissertation title: Elucidating the presence of microplastics in the gills of Open Sea Caged farmed (market-sold) and Recirculating Aquaculture System raised Salmo salar.
• Name: Celine Meylemans, Dissertation title: Establishing the impact of physical wave exposure and drag force on structural complexity in Rugulopteryx okamurae in Gibraltar.
• Name: Floor H.G. van der Marck, Dissertation title: BRIDGE – Bridging Knowledge Divides for Marine Conservation: A Case Study of Gibraltar’s Marine Research Environment.
• Name: Jette Ida Damminger, Dissertation title: Exploring Ecosystem Health: Assessing structural complexity and habitat function of fringing mangrove ecosystems for mobile species in Inhambane Bay, Mozambique.
• Name: Zoe Morgan, Dissertation title: Assessing Fish Health: A Baseline Study in the Bay of Gibraltar.
• Name: Viviane Wiedecke, Dissertation title: Coral Comeback Feasibility of Restoration of Astroides calycularis within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
• Name: Thomas Wendt, Dissertation title: SEABRIDGE I FROM ECOLOGY TO POLICY – An assessment of sandbank biodiversity from macro- to micro-level and analysis of their protective policies.
• Name: Saratha Naiken, Dissertation title: A Baseline for the Blue Economy: Assessing the Morphological trends of Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the Western Indian Ocean.
• Name: Nell Cava, Dissertation title: An Investigation of the Antimicrobial Potential of Rugulopteryx okamurae using Escherichia coli as a Model System.
• Name: Michelle Cardoso Calheiros, Dissertation title: Tagging Sharks, Informing Policy, and Conservation: Streamlining Best Practices for the Isle of Man’s Tagging Initiatives for Sustainable Shark Management.
• Name: Luisa Suarez, Dissertation title: Development of a fish assemblage baseline and trophic level structure using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) sampling in Isla Grande, Cartagena Colombia.

2023

• Name: Jule Buschmann, Dissertation title: Giants on the reef: Using remote underwater video to assess cleaning station use by reef manta rays.
• Name: Nadine Mauch, Dissertation title: Global Analysis Of Shark Bite Risk Mitigation Measures And Their Implications For Shark Conservation.
• Name: Tess Beckwith, Dissertation title: Marine citizenship: Expanding the criteria for belonging.
• Name: Frances Miranda Soler, Dissertation title: Maritime Traffic Impact on Dolphin Behaviour in the Bay of Gibraltar.
• Name: Rachelle) Hannah Hicks, Dissertation title: Understanding the knowledge of divers on seagrass ecosystems: Assessing vulnerability, threats, and diver perception for improved awareness and protection in Abades.
• Name: Jasmijn Gase, Dissertation title: On track to hit Aichi Target 11? Identifying best practices in OECMs and applicability for marine conservation.
• Name: Eszter Fónagy, Dissertation title: Functional Ecology of Reefs in Gibraltar: Impacts of Different Protection Levels.
• Name: Mariela Perez Ponzanelli, Dissertation title: Towards Socio-Ecological Sustainability: An Assessment Of Cabo Pulmo National Park.
• Name: Teagen Miller, Dissertation title: Assessing habitat vulnerability to marine debris on Tobacco Caye, Belize.
• Name: Patricia Vidal Geraldino, Dissertation title: Zooplankton: an important link for the trophic web of the Submarine Canyon of the Bay of Gibraltar.
• Name: Fiona Féval, Dissertation title: Applicability of SfM Photogrammetry for Gorgonian Population Assessment in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
• Name: Guilherme Rosado, Dissertation title: Spearfishing for Science: A collaborative approach to marine research in Portugal.
• Name: Natascha Jaspert, Dissertation title: Beyond Marine Paper Parks? Evaluating the Success of German Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the North Sea.
• Name: Evi Kaasik, Dissertation title: Increasing Habitat Availability for O. vulgaris in a No-Take Zone MPA through the Deployment of ‘Octohotel’ Artificial Habitats.
• Name: Lucy Darby, Dissertation title: Utilising digital imagery and environmental survey techniques to provide a health assessment of Gibraltar’s sandbanks.
• Name: Nhut Hoang-Don, Dissertation title: CETACEAN MASS STRANDING: Global Databases and Insights into Hypotheses, Patterns, and Distribution.
• Name: Leslie Schär, Dissertation title: The provision and utilisation of cover of the invasive macroalgal species Rugulopteryx okamurae (E.Y. Dawson) by cryptic species.
• Name: Arianna Talas, Dissertation title: Greening the Grey: Artificial Rock Pools and their potential role in increasing the biodiversity of mobile species.

2022

• Name: Carol Baily, Dissertation title: A survey of the richness and abundance of fish species in and around the Arch, Barranco Seco, Los Gigantes, Tenerife.
• Name: Alice Bruemmer, Dissertation title: The Alice Project: Assessment of Litter-fauna Interactions in submarine Canyon Environments.
• Name: Paolla Cerqueira, Dissertation title: First marine litter assessment in Gibraltar: low-cost and easy to replicate methodology.
• Name: Yasmine Charrak, Dissertation title: Evaluation of Environmental and Anthropogenic Drivers of Selected Limpet Populations in Gibraltar: Featuring the Effects of Oestrogenic Hormones.
• Name: Eleanor Clay, Dissertation title: Investigating the use of artisanal style shelter fishing pots for Octopus vulgaris as artificial dens to increase habitat availability and the abundance of Octopus vulgaris in Gibraltar.
• Name: Natalie Coles, Dissertation title: Review of Marine Management in UK Overseas Territories: A Roadmap for Gibraltar.
• Name: Sid Dewfall, Dissertation title: Shooting the Stars: ’An Ecological Assessment of the Distribution and Health Status of Astroides calycularis in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
• Name: Peyton Dryer, Dissertation title: Rays of hope: The first study conducted on the species richness and conservation of batoid populations in the British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW).
• Name: Francesca Gagliardi, Dissertation title: Recreational fishing impact on dolphins in the Bay of Gibraltar.
• Name: Sarah Goh, Dissertation title: Mind the Gap: Bridging the biodiversity framework gap in effectiveness evaluation for micro Marine Protected Areas.
• Name: Laura Hinze, Dissertation title: The Effects of Hypersaline Desalination Effluence on Benthic Communities in Gibraltar’s Camp Bay.
• Name: Chynara Kamalova, Dissertation title: Investigation of Policies and Best Practices for the Implementation of the Reduction of Ship Emissions and Low Emission Areas Via Operational and Technical Measures.
• Name: Hajnalka Kiss, Dissertation title: Implication for coastal water quality and human health: the potential for colonisation of epiphytic faecal bacteria (Escherichia coli) on Rugulopteryx okamurae.
• Name: Linda Mazza, Dissertation title: Cetacean-Vessel Interactions in the Strait of Gibraltar.
• Name: Natalie Muirhead-Davies, Dissertation title: Defining healthy rocky reefs: Conservation tools to provide advice for effective, sustainable marine management.
• Name: Baptiste Orsoni, Dissertation title: Assessment of Dentex dentex abundance and prey trophic structure in a Corsican Marine Protected Area using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) sampling.
• Name: Daphne Pezij, Dissertation title: Health status and characterisation of Gibraltar’s maerl.
• Name: Jasmin Plummer, Dissertation title: Climate change and coastal tourism: Pioneering a metric for hotel environmental sustainability, in Gibraltar.
• Name: Kellie Rana, Dissertation title: Conversations about Conservation: Strengthening Marine Protected Areas through Decentralised Governance Approaches and the Scaling-up of Human Dimensions.
• Name: Aviad Reed, Dissertation title: Investigating mussel farming in Gibraltar waters: A circular, cost-effective, nature-based solution for wave energy attenuation and food security.
• Name: Laurent Righetti, Dissertation title: Assessing the Presence and Abundance of the Finger-Shaped Sea Pen (Veretillum cynomorium) Within the Bay of Gibraltar.
• Name: Samantha Slisarenko, Dissertation title: The effects of climate variability on a top pelagic predator assessed through stable isotope and stomach content analyses.
• Name: Ingrid Tissot van Patot, Dissertation title: A Description of Prokaryotic Picoplanktonic Communities and their Relationships with the Physio-Chemical Environment in PRODIGIO’s Wastewater Algae Raceway.
• Name: Xavier Villar Buzo, Dissertation title: Assessment of marine recreational fishing effort pressure at Europa Reef; Southern Waters MCZ.

Research Themes and Dissertations

Education & Research Impact Report 2024

The School of Marine and Environmental Sciences is proud to share its latest achievements in education, research, and community impact.

QAA Global Accreditation

The University is delighted to have achieved global accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the UK’s independent quality body and a global leader in quality assurance for higher education.

WHY UNIGIB?

• 92%-97% Employment or Further Study within 6 Months
• 36+ Nationalities
• 96% Satisfaction from Student Body
• QAA Global Accreditation

Entry Requirements

• Typically, all applicants will have:
  • Possess a minimum of a second class Honours degree (2.1 preferred) awarded by a UK university or overseas equivalent in a relevant subject.
  • Be able to communicate ideas effectively in writing, in discussions and presentations. Basic IT skills, such as word-processing, email and Internet are expected.
  • Alternate entry into the Masters programme can be achieved through suitably documented extensive work experience (e.g. >1 year) relevant to the programme (e.g. marine environmental research, government planning, environmental impact work, work for non-governmental organisation i.e. NGO or international agency). Such applicants may be required to submit a discursive account of why this experience is relevant.

English Language Requirements

• An overall IELTS test result of 6.5, including a minimum of 6.0 in all sub-tests. Equivalent awards will be considered (e.g. Pearson’s Test of English, Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English, Duolingo English Test, City & Guilds International ESOL 8984, or the TOEFL- IBT test of English proficiency). If you do not meet our entry requirements, you can still apply as we will consider your application.

Fees

• Programme: MSc Marine Science & Climate Change
• Fee (per annum): £8,785
• Year: 1

Apply

Applications are now open.

Bursaries and Scholarships

The University of Gibraltar hosts or directly offers a limited number of scholarship programmes to support your studies. These scholarships are highly competitive; they are available to support undergraduate, Master’s degree and PhD programmes and are made available to students based on certain criteria.

If you have been resident in Gibraltar for more than five years then, once you receive your offer letter from the University of Gibraltar, you can apply to the Department of Education for funding.

Student Accommodation

Accommodation for University of Gibraltar students is available at the purpose built Europa Suites, located just a two-minute walk from our Europa Point Campus.

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