It is aimed that students will dominate the subjects taught and develop an inquisite mind and the ability to integrate and discuss the scientific knowledge provided as well as the skill to share and communicate this knowledge. The following learning objectives for this course were established as follow:
1. Understand and correctly apply the terminology and fundamental concepts related to coastal ecosystems and their organisms.
2. Understand the stucture and dynamics of main litoral communities.
3. Relate the anatomo physiological adaptions of littoral organisms with their environmental setting and ecological role.
4. Become familiar with the rotine technics (sampling, sample and data treatment) used in coastal and marine biology.
5. Adquire research skills and knowledge eager.
6. Develop and present written research reports (including appropriate research methods and review of literature)
7) Develop team work skills and multidisciplinar integration.
1. Coastal Environment
Waves annd Tides. Terminology and concepts.
Coastal Geomorphology: Classification. Coastal evolution. S. Miguel coast.
2. Soft Bottom Communties. Intertidal and subtidal. Environmental conditions. Dunes, Sand beaches and mudflats.
Sucession. Organisms adapations. Abiotic variability and its consequences. Seagrass meadows. Estuaries: types, circulation, sediments and salinity. circulação, transporte sedimentar e variação salina. Wetlands: Satmarshes and Mangroves.
3. Hard Bottom Communiites
Intertidal. Environmental conditions and organisms’ adapations. Zonation.
Sutidal: Characterization. Rock reefs. Kelp forests. Coral Reefs. Artificial Reefs
4. Biodiversity and conservation Local and Global Threats. Conservation strategies, monitoring and management.
The course would taught weekly sessions of 2h lectures and 2h practical classes. The concepts taught in theorical classes are complemented with field work and lab sessions. Students will be exposed with routine sampling and data acquisition and treatment techniques, that could be very useful in their future careers. Practical classes will be subject to evaluation by delivering scientific reports, where students should be able to demonstrate the ability to use the conceptual framework to critically explain and discuss the observed phenomena. The practical work is planned to stimulate scientific curiosity and reasoning and universal work skills as team work.
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Ingmanson, D. E. & W. J. Wallace, 1989. Oceanography. An introduction. Waldsworth Publ. Company, Belmont
Levinton J. S., 1995 Marine Biology - Function, biodiversity, ecology. Oxford University Press
Morton B., J. C. Britton & A. Frias Martins 1998 Ecologia costeira dos Açores. Sociedade Afonso Chaves
Neto A. I., 1991. Zonação litoral de dois locais da ilha de São Miguel (Açores) e estudo dos seus povoamentos fitobentónicos. APCC. Universidade dos Açores, Ponta Delgada
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