72831 - the Marine Environment

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Marco Abbiati
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: BIO/07
  • Language: Italian
  • Moduli: Marco Abbiati (Modulo 1) Fabiano Gamberi (Modulo 2)
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biological Sciences (cod. 8012)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is familiar with 1) the geological evolution of the planet earth and the formation of the sea basins; 2) the physical and chemical characteristics of the masses of water; 3) physiography and geomorphology of the seabed, genesis and characteristics of rocks and sediments; 4) sedimentological processes and distribution of benthic environments; 5) interactions between marine organisms and the abiotic environment; 6) the main types of marine ecosystems and their functional characteristics; 7) the processes of formation of the populations and their distribution in space and time.

Course contents

The course is organised in 2 modules, the first tought by Fabiano Gamberi and the second by Marco Abbiati.

Contents of the Fabiano Gamberi module are related to marine geologi and physical ocenography.

Contents of the form of Marco Abbiati are releted to marine biology and marne ecology. 

Readings/Bibliography

Online supporting material

Oceanography: an invitation to Marine Sciences, Tom Garrison, 7th edition International edition, Brooks / Cole Cengage learning 2010
Rocks and sedimentary succession, Alfonso Bosellini, Emilano Mutti, Franco Ricci Lucchi,
UTET, 1989
Marine biology, G. Cognetti, M. Will and G. Magazzù, Calderini 2000
Marine Biology, P Castro and ME Huber, Mc Graw Hill 2011

Teaching methods

The course is organised in classroom teaching and field exercises organised in sample collection and analysis and interpretation of the results.
Visit to the ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences) of the CNR in Bologna will be organised.

Assessment methods

The final exam is done together for the two modules of the course (M Abbiati and F Gamberi). The final exam aims to evaluate the degree of learning of the concepts presented in the classroom, and the analytical and synthesis skills developed during the exercises and the discussion of the articles.

Teaching tools

The teaching is organised in lectures, exercises in the laboratory and in the field. In addition, students have to select a scientific paper drawn from international journals (eg Marine Ecology Progress Series, Marine Pollution Bulletin, Aquatic Conservation, Marine Biology, Marine Environmental Research) and discuss it in the class using a PowerPoint presentation.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Abbiati

See the website of Fabiano Gamberi