3 ECTS credits
90 u studietijd
Aanbieding 1 met studiegidsnummer 4023639DNR voor alle studenten in het 2e semester met een inleidend master niveau.
The objective of this multidisciplinary fieldtrip in estuaries is to offer students a broad overview of the biological and geochemical characteristics of estuarine systems.
Estuaries are important transition zones between freshwater river systems and marine systems. Marine tidal waves propagate inland along the river channels creating diurnal cycles of variable water levels, but also salinity gradients by the progressive mixing of marine salty waters with river freshwaters. These very special environmental characteristics trigger unique plant and animal population and species distribution as well as biogeochemical functioning. This field-course focus on the characterization of phytoplankton, benthic organisms (macrobenthos and microphytobenthos), and basic biogeochemical variables such as nutrients, suspended solids, temperature, conductivity, pH, in the Scheldt Estuary. For 5 days, students will participate to a fieldtrip with visits to tidal marshes, sampling of water, sediments, and phytoplankton, perform laboratory analyses in small groups, analyze their results and finally discuss and present their findings.
Requirements: basic knowledge in chemistry, biology and ecology. Insight in the most important estuarine processes.
1. Knowledge in multidisciplinary estuarine studies (ref 1. Knowledge in the field of marine and lacustrine studies, advanced knowledge in one of the subdisciplines and in the interaction of the various subdisciplines within the broader field of application).
2. Advanced practical skills in the sampling, sample treatment and chemical and biological analyses of estuarine samples (ref 6. Advanced and thorough practical skills in field research, experimental research, research in a laboratory context and in processing data, in order to solve scientific questions).
3. Advanced skills for teamwork, task division, and result integration towards a research question (ref 7. Advanced organizational skills in relation to research (teamwork, task division, development and logistics of a research approach)).
4. Communicative skills regarding group research results towards peers (ref 8. Communicative skills regarding (personal) research results to specialists as well as nonspecialists, using various adapted media and formats).
De beoordeling bestaat uit volgende opdrachtcategorieën:
Examen Andere bepaalt 100% van het eindcijfer
Binnen de categorie Examen Andere dient men volgende opdrachten af te werken:
Students will be evaluated on their active participation during fieldwork and laboratory sessions; on their oral presentation of results and on their final report.
In case of non-fulfillment of competence requirements during the first examination period, a second examination period is possible. For the second examination period, the student will be given a special assignment on topics discussed during the field trips.
Deze aanbieding maakt deel uit van de volgende studieplannen:
Master of Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management: Standaard traject (enkel aangeboden in het Engels)