COURSE UNIT TITLE

: PLANCTONIC ORGANISMS AND THEIR ECOLOGY

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
CDK 6007 PLANCTONIC ORGANISMS AND THEIR ECOLOGY ELECTIVE 2 0 0 7

Offered By

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences

Level of Course Unit

Second Cycle Programmes (Master's Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR ŞENGÜL BEŞIKTEPE

Offered to

MARINE LIVING RESOURCES

Course Objective


This course is intended to provide graduate students with the understanding of form, function and ecological importance of planktonic communities in marine ecosystems. Initially, students are introduced to important primary producers and secondary producers in the marine systems. Environmental factors that influence species-specific and population level interactions are discussed.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Idendify major taxonomic groups of marine planktonic organisms
2   Describe and analyse main factors affecting plankton distribution
3   Define and apply metodologies for plankton sampling
4   Describe and discuss possible mechanisms affecting changes in planktonic community structure
5   Identify the relative role of planktonic organisms in ecosystem functioning
6   Design and conduct experiments on planktonic food chain
7   Analyse and discuss scientific research

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Description of planktonic organisms
2 Description of major groups of phytoplankton and their general characteristics
3 Description of major groups of holoplankton and their general characteristics
4 Description of major groups of meroplankton and their general characteristics
5 Description of sampling design and sampling methods
6 Processes involved in primary production
7 Mid term
8 Factors effecting distribution and migration patterns of zooplanktonic organisms
9 Water column seasonal cycles
10 Food chain and energy flux
11 Processing of consumed energy
12 Sedimentation and biological pump
13 Plankton and fisheries
14 Plankton and climate change

Recomended or Required Reading


Miller C., Wheeler, P.A., 2012. Biological Oceanography. Wiley-Blackwell, 480 pp.
Valiela, I., 1995. Marine Ecological Processes, Springer, 686 pp.
Dipper, F., Tait R.V., 1998. Elements of Marine Ecology. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 462 pp.
Harris, R.P., Wiebe, P.H., Lenz, J., Skjoldal, H.R., Huntley, M. (Eds.). 2000. Zooplankton Methodology Manual. Academic Press, San Diego, 684 pp.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods


Course material is presented by use of lectures, powerpoint presentations, practicle sessions at lab for taxonomic studies and feeding experiments, and research paper discussions

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 ASG ASSIGNMENT
3 PRS 1 PRESENTATION 1
4 PRS 2 PRESENTATION 2
5 FIN FINAL EXAM
6 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE* 0.20 + ASG * 0.20 +PRS 1 * 0.15 + PRS 2 * 0.15 + FIN * 0.30


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

To be announced.

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

To be announced.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

To be announced.

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 2 26
Tutorials 2 2 4
Reading 2 10 20
Lab study 1 20 20
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 13 1 13
Preparation for quiz etc. 5 2 10
Preparation for midterm exam 1 12 12
Preparing presentations 2 7 14
Preparation for final exam 1 22 22
Preparing assignments 2 8 16
Midterm 1 2 2
Final 1 2 2
Quiz etc. 5 0,5 3
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 164

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8
LO.132213442
LO.244422314
LO.345345415
LO.433432435
LO.542332134
LO.654545533
LO.753443545

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No: 144 35210 Alsancak / İZMİR
Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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