Program Overview

Program Overview

The Marine Biology program at the University of Copenhagen offers a comprehensive education in marine ecosystems, including open waters, soft and hard bottom environments, and the biology of organisms in these habitats.

Course Content

The course provides a detailed description of different marine ecosystems, including:

• Open waters
• Soft and hard bottom environments (e.g., macrophyte communities and coral reefs)
• The biology of organisms in these habitats, including behavioral, physiological, and evolutionary aspects
• Human impact on ecosystems

Learning Outcomes

By attending the course, students will achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Identify, describe, and have a general overview of water as a medium for living organisms
• Describe and have a general overview of different marine organismal groups
• Identify and describe selected life processes in water and sediment
• Relate these processes to differing marine environments and place them in a comprehensive biological context
• Explain the structure and function of different marine systems
• Explain how human activities may affect life in the sea on a regional and global scale
• Evaluate the importance of hydrography, diffusive and turbulent transport for the life of marine organisms and for biogeochemical processes

Teaching and Learning Methods

The course includes:

• Lectures
• Theoretical exercises
• Demonstrations
• Some teaching may take place at the Marine Section in Helsingør, with streaming via the internet for remote participation

Literature

Literature for the course is available on Absalon.

Recommended Prerequisites

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree are recommended.

Remarks

The course is a mandatory part of the Marine Biology program and runs simultaneously with the Experimental Marine Biology course. It is recommended to take both courses in the same block.

Exam

The exam consists of an oral examination, 20 minutes with 20 minutes preparation time, based on one of the written assignments and the course syllabus. Four written assignments must be approved by the responsible teacher during the course.

Course Type and Workload

The course is a single subject course with a workload of:

• Lectures: 50 hours
• Preparation: 75 hours
• Theory exercises: 30 hours
• Project work: 40 hours
• Guidance: 10 hours
• Exam: 1 hour

Language and Course Number

The course is taught in English, with the course number NBIK21001U.

ECTS and Programme Level

The course is worth 7.5 ECTS and is at the full degree master level.

Duration and Placement

The course lasts for one block and is placed in block 1.

Study Board and Contracting Department

The study board for the biological area is responsible for the course, with the Department of Biology as the contracting department.

Course Coordinator and Teachers

The course coordinator is Per Juel Hansen, with teachers including Michael Kühl, Mathias Middelboe, Jens Høeg, Bent Vismann, Katrine Worsaae, John Fleng Steffensen, Lasse Riemann, and guest lectures, postdocs, and PhD students.