Unit of Study MRNE5001 Ocean Change Biology (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Science and Engineering
Placement

No

Enrolment information

This unit has a compulsory 2-day residential at the National Marine Science Centre, Coffs Harbour. Please refer to https://www.scu.edu.au/timetables for further information on timetables.

Unit description

Examines local and ocean climate systems and the way humans are altering the global climate, the impact that this may have on individual organisms and ecosystems, and the capacity for organisms to acclimatise or adapt to these changes. Specifically examines changes in the oceans carbon cycle, ocean acidification and ocean warming. Examines how marine organisms and communities may be affected by, adapt and acclimatise to ocean acidification and warming. Examines how overharvesting and habitat alteration is causing unprecedented shifts in marine biodiversity and community structure. Students critically analyse advanced issues in the field and laboratory.

Unit content

1. The marine carbonate cycle, ocean acidification and biological implications

2. Drivers and predictions for warming, oxygen minimum zones and marine biological impacts

3. Interactions between warming, acidification and other climate change stressors

4. Tropicalisation, range shifts & universal effects of ocean climate change

5. Trophic downgrading and shifting baselines

6. Potential for adaptation to climate change

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2025

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:

demonstrate advanced understanding of ocean carbonate cycle and critically evaluate possible effects of ocean acidification on marine invertebrates, fish, seaweeds and species interactions

describe the theoretical basis for the impact of global warming on marine organisms and the three predicted universal responses of climate change on marine organism

critically evaluate how multiple stressors are eroding the diversity and function of marine ecosystems

design, conduct, analyse and interpret manipulative laboratory experiments in relation to marine biology

Fee information

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