Table of contents

The course is connected to the following study programs

Teaching language

English

Prerequisites

MSc degree in relevant subject area and admission to a relevant PhD programme

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completing the course, the students should

Knowledge

  • Describe the dominant pelagic organisms of the North Atlantic
  • Briefly describe pelagic ecosystems of different biogeographic regions
  • Understand the ecological interactions characteristic of the pelagic realm of the North Atlantic
  • Discuss how physical and chemical drivers affect pelagic ecosystems over time and space
  • Have acquired knowledge of the diversity of fish life forms, and how these relate to the spatial and temporal dynamics of fish populations

Skills

  • Formulate hypotheses and design studies to investigate questions related to pelagic ecology
  • Design and perform marine sample surveys to address scientific questions of pelagic ecology
  • Have acquired practical skills to collect, store and process marine plankton for downstream analyses

General competence

  • Communicate own results to the scientific community
  • Write scientific report based on own samples and data analyses
  • Take responsibility for the planning and leading of small research projects
  • Write a research proposal for a relevant project

Contents

The course provides a thorough introduction to boreal pelagic ecosystems. The course will give more specialized insights into organisms and ecological interactions of the pelagic realm of the North Atlantic focusing on the Skagerrak/North Sea regions. Mechanisms affecting abundance, seasonality and distribution of plankton and nekton in relation to the variability of oceanographic parameters will be discussed. Factors affecting survival, dispersal and distribution of fish during early life history stages will be detailed in relation to environmental variation and human activities. All organism groups and processes of the coastal and marine planktonic food web will be covered.

Teaching and learning methods

The course will use a combination of lectures, seminars, field work, laboratory work and group project work. The course will start with lectures and seminars/discussions to introduce students to relevant topics including the field project. 3-5 days will be spent in the field to sample material and data for student projects.

Total lecture hours: 35 hours

Laboratory/seminars: 45 hours

Field excursion: 3-5 days

Examination requirements

Attendance of field excursion.

Examinations

Group field report, 2-hr multiple choice exam and an individually written research proposal. Graded pass/fail.

Student evaluation

The course will be evaluated in accordance with the quality system for education, chapter 4.1.

Reduction of Credits

This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:

Course Reduction of Credits
BIO414 – Pelagic Ecology. 10
BIO404 – Fisheries Oceanography. 5
Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Oct. 15, 2026 8:17:03 AM