Marine Biology and Ecology

Code:

RM07

Acronym:

BEM

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Marine Biology and Ecology

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S (of 15-09-2025 to 13-02-2026)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Aquatic Production
Course/CS Responsible:	Master Degree in Marine Sciences - Marine Resources

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MCMRM	22	Oficial Plan 2018	1	-	5	50	135

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The course Marine Biology and Ecology is focused on two central themes: (i) biodiversity, ecology and biogeography of coastal zones, and (ii) movement ecology of large oceanic predators. Emphasis will be placed on the impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change.

Learning outcomes and competences

The student should be able to understand the processes that regulate environmental conditions in marine ecosystems, the impact of human activities and climate change, and how these influence the diversity, distribution, and behavior of coastal and ocean organisms. Students should also be able to select appropriate instruments for the study of climate, biodiversity, and behavior. Students should gain skills in obtaining and analyzing data using appropriate software (R  etc.). Finally, they should understand the scientific process and develop critical thinking, being able to interpret and discuss knowledge generated by scientific papers in the scope of Marine Biology and Ecology.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Theory lessons:

T1: The physical basis of climate change I: Global
T2: The physical basis of climate change II: Ocean
T3: Methods to study ocean climate I: Remote sensing
T4: Methods to study ocean climate II: In situ measurements
T5: Temperature and biodiversity at the coast I
T6: Temperature and biodiversity at the coast II
T7: Biogeography and climate change
T8: How to study intertidal ecology in the 21st century?
T9: Methods for tracking marine animals
T10: Linking predator movement and environment
T11: Predator movements and (the lack of) resources
T12: Advances in high-resolution biologging I
T13: Advances in high-resolution biologging II
T14: Fishing and climate change impacts
T15: Biological impacts of ocean warming, acidification, and deoxygenation on the marine biota: the deadly trio.

Practical lessons:

P1: Heat stress in marine invertebrates - how to design a lab experiment and how to measure physiological response to temperature via heartbeat measuring devices.
P2: Coastal Sea Surface Temperature (SST): Obtaining and analysing data
P3: Visit to an intertidal rocky shore: Methods to survey biodiversity and collect temperature data. 
P4: Surveying and reporting intertidal biodiversity: species identification and data submission to international databases (OBIS, GBIF, etc.) 
P5: Analyses of spatial movements
P6: Foraging behaviour
P7: Using high-resolution biologgers
P8: Visit to Laboratório de Ecofisiologia at FCUL/Guia

Mandatory literature

Michel J. Kaiser, Martin J. Attrill, Simon Jennings, David Thomas; Marine Ecology: Processes, Systems, and Impacts, Oxford University Press
Brian Helmuth, Nova Mieszkowska, Pippa Moore, and Stephen J. Hawkins; Living on the Edge of Two Changing Worlds: Forecasting the Responses of Rocky Intertidal Ecosystems to Climate Change. ISBN: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.37.091305.110149
Stephen J. Hawkins, Katrin Bohn, Louise B. Firth, Gray A. Williams; Interactions in the Marine Benthos Global Patterns and Processes. ISBN: 9781108416085
Carrier, J. C., Musick, J. A., & Heithaus, M. R. (Eds.).; Sharks and their relatives II: biodiversity, adaptive physio, 2010
Jennings, S., Kaiser, M., & Reynolds, J. D; Marine fisheries ecology, 2009
Gilly, W. F., et al.; Oceanographic and biological effects of shoaling of the oxygen minimum zone., 2013
Queiroz, N., et al.; Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries., 2019
Humphries, N. E., et al.; Environmental context explains Levy and Brownian movement patterns of marine predators., 2010
Payne, N. L. and J. A. Smith; An alternative explanation for global trends in thermal tolerance., 2017

Teaching methods and learning activities

Expository lectures

Exposition with discussion

Practical classes

Field work

Software

R https://www.r-project.org/

keywords

Technological sciences > Technology > Remote sensing
Natural sciences > Environmental science > Earth science > Marine sciences
Natural sciences > Biological sciences > Biology
Natural sciences > Biological sciences > Biodiversity
Natural sciences > Environmental science > Global change
Natural sciences > Environmental science > Ecology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	5,00
Exame	75,00
Trabalho laboratorial	20,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	30,00
Trabalho de campo	2,50
Trabalho laboratorial	2,50
Estudo autónomo	100,00
Total:	135,00

Eligibility for exams

According to the laws and Rules in force at UPorto and ICBAS.
Attendance is required in 3/4 of all lectured classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final Grade = Written exam x 0.75 + Continuous assessment x 0.25

Continuous assessment includes:

• attendance (0.05);


• lab work (0.20).

The score of the lab work is the average of all classifications from all practical classes. 

The final classification is from 0 to 20, rounded to the nearest unit

Classification improvement

Students may attend a new exam in the second phase of evaluation.