Unit of Study MRNE3008 Marine Megafauna (2026)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Science and Engineering
Placement

No

Enrolment information

There will be a 2-day compulsory residential for ALL students (including Online students) that will be held at the National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour. Please refer to http://scu.edu.au/timetables for further information.

Unit description

Encompasses the advanced study of the biology and conservation of marine megafauna (e.g. marine mammals, turtles, sharks, crocodiles and rays). Students will study cutting-edge research on marine megafauna, and critically evaluate important case studies. Students will learn about management priorities vital for the continued conservation and recovery of globally threatened populations of marine megafauna.

Unit content

An overview of marine megafauna.
Whales and dolphins.
Seals and sea lions.
Sharks and rays.
Threats to marine mammals and effective conservation approaches.
Threats to shark populations and effective management strategies.

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour	Term3	Term3
Online	Term3	N/A

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

appraise the taxonomy, anatomy, and biology of marine megafauna

critically evaluate the main anthropogenic impacts to marine megafauna

explain the management strategies required to conserve marine megafauna

demonstrate skills and knowledge in the collection and use of data to assess the abundance and behaviour of marine megafauna.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Residential 2 days (Once)

Assessment
Quiz	20%
Quiz	20%
Report	60%

Teaching method

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Residential 2 days (Once)

Assessment
Quiz	20%
Quiz	20%
Report	60%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

Prescribed text information is not currently available.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.

Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees.

Find out more for domestic fees