Marine Environmental Studies

This introductory course to marine environmental studies provides an overview of the basic concepts of biodiversity, toxicology and drug discovery, focussing on tropical marine ecosystems. You will examine biological adaptation and function of marine organisms in relation to environmental changes in practice-based classes. The focus will be on coral reef, seagrass, mangrove and soft bottom benthic habitats, from organismal to ecosystem approaches. Additionally, the course will examine current practices of marine biotechnology, including bioprospecting of marine resources for medical applications. As these are current topics with global perspectives, participants who intend to be educators in the future will have an opportunity to experience relevant inquiry approaches to understanding and teaching marine environmental studies at the primary and secondary school levels.