2023-2024 / OCEA0057-7

Marine Ecology

Marine ecology

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

Marine ecology fieldtrip

Duration

Marine ecology : 10h Th, 5h Mon. WS
Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling : 15h Th, 15h Pr
Marine ecology fieldtrip : 6d FW

Number of credits

 Master in oceanography (120 ECTS) (MER - Erasmus mundus)6 crédits 

Lecturer

Marine ecology : Krishna Das, Sylvie Gobert
Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling : Marilaure Grégoire
Marine ecology fieldtrip : Krishna Das, Sylvie Gobert

Coordinator

Sylvie Gobert

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

All year long, with partial in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

The ocean is the largest biome on the biosphere, and the place where life first evolved. Life in a viscous fluid, such as seawater, imposed particular constraints on the structure and functioning of ecosystems, impinging on all relevant aspects of ecology, including the spatial and time scales of variability, the dispersal of organisms, and the connectivity between populations and ecosystems.
The Marine Ecology is the scientific study of marine-life habitat, populations, and interactions among organisms and the surrounding environment including their abiotic and biotic features.
Marine ecology is a subset of the study of marine biology and includes observations at the biochemical, cellular, individual, and community levels as well as the study of marine ecosystems and the biosphere.
The course of Marine Ecology provides an introduction to ecology focuses on specific marine ecological concept, covering interactions between marine organisms and the environment at scales of populations, communities, and ecosystems.
Main Outline contents

  • The Mediterranean Sea: the place to be  (this bassin is ideal to understand the basic concepts in Marine ecology (colonization, climax, invasive species, human impact...)
  • Ecology of the some marine communities: Posidonia oceanica meadow, from estuaries to rocky shores to polar regions, ... and with afocus on anthropogenic impacts.
  • General concepts in ecology applied to marine ecology: definitions, ecologial factors, production, productivity, trophic webs, interspecific relations, competition, predation, zonation of organisms,...

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

CHAPTER 1 Introduction

  • What is a model?
  • Why do we need models?
CHAPTER 2 Model formulation

  • Conceptual model
  • Mathematical model formulation
  • Formulation of ecological interactions
  • Chemical reactions
  • Inhibition
  • Coupled model equations
  • Impact of physical conditions
CHAPTER 3 Spatial components

  • Taonomy of spatial models
  • Spatial boundary conditions
  • Example: competitive interactions in a lattice model
CHAPTER 4 Parameterisation

  • In situ measurement
  • Literature-Derived parameters
  • Calib_ters.43
CHAPTER 5 Model solution

  • Initial conditions
  • Analytical solutions of differential equations
  • Numerical solution of differential equations
  • Steady-state and stability analysis
CHAPTER 6 Testing and validating the model

  • Dimensional homogeneity and consistency of units
  • Conservation of energy and mass
  • Testing the correctness of the model solution
  • Testing the internal logic of the model
  • Model verification
  • Model validity
  • Model sensitivity
  • Example_74
  • Example of the conservation principle: a mass budget of a marine bay
CHAPTER 7 Taxonomy of ecological models

  • Strategic versus tactic models
  • Continuous and discrete time models
  • Deterministic and stochastic models
  • Density-biomass specific models
  • Physiological - individual-based - population - ecosystem models
  • Example: growth of a Daphnia individual
CHAPTER 8 Appendices

  • Taxonomy of differential equations
  • Solving difference equations
CHAPTER 9 Books for further reading

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

The course will




  • give a basic knowledge of ecological characteristics and processes in the marine environment.
  • show the importance, complexity and fragile aspects of different types of marine habitats.
The student will


  • be abble to explain the factors that determine the spatial and temporal distributions and abundance populations and communities of marine organisms in relation with biotic and abiotic factors.
  • be abble to apply ecological principles
  • be abble to work constructively both independently and collaboratively and communicate effectively about Marine Ecology (issues and ideas) using language that can be understood by the public and scientists.
  • use some methods applied in marine ecology during the field trip.
  • develop ability to collect, analyse and interpret marine ecological data.
 
 

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

The main aim of this course is to learn how to conceptualize, parameterize and implement mathematical models of marine biogeochemical and ecological processes

Marine ecology fieldtrip

Students should

  • develop testable alternative hypotheses for the causes underlying the observed patterns.
  • design and carry out appropriate empirical tests of the predictions of hypotheses to explain the observed patterns.
  • describe spatio-temporal patterns in marine populations and communities, and investigate the underlying processes producing such patterns at multiple scales.
 
Students should become independent in:
  • exploring theories and models in marine ecology;
  • identifying and describing patterns and causal processes in marine ecosystems.
  • conducting observational and experimental ecological research;

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

A  basic knowledge of the concepts in ecology

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

None. The mathematics used will be quiet elementary

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

  • Lectures and sessions of discussion
  • A field trip in Corsica at STARESO, compulsory
 

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

The half part of the time will be devoted to the implementation of very simple examples in order to get familliar with models implementation

Marine ecology fieldtrip

A week in the field. The student will receive a question at the beginning of the week. It will have to develop a measurement and sampling protocol to meet them.
The student will be guided throughout the week through discussions with the supervisors.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

Courses in face-to-face.
The attention of the student is regularly requested during tutorial classes.
Field trip at STARESO (Calvi-Corse), compulsory

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

1.5 ECTS : theory
1.5 ECTS : Exercises

Recommended or required readings

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

The ppt constitute the basis of the course, they contain the essential information and not all of the oral comments given during the course.


The ppt are accessible on myUlg or given at the end of each course.
The ppts, videos, articles are in English, the whole course is given in English.

 

The book "Marine Ecology" (Kaiser et al., 2020) is available (in pdf version) 

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

Lecture notes (theory, exercices) are available via eCampus. Each lecture is podcasted to allow the student to revise the lecture at its own rythm. 

Assessment methods and criteria

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

oral exam


Additional information:

An oral exam (after a preparation with ppts).  (2 questions) during the session (50% of the final mark)
An oral presentation after the fieldtrip in Corsica (precise guidelines will be provoded at the  beginning of the training at STARESO) (50% of the final mark).

 

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions )

Written work / report


Additional information:

A homework  is due for January 7th at midnight. Description of the homework will be given during the lecture and will be made available via eCampus. Students will have to develop, implement and analyze a simple biogeochemical model to solve an environmental problem.  This homework has to be realized by group of 3-4 students. A written report of ~10 pages describing the results and answering a list of questions has to be provided as well as the Rmd file describing the model code. 

For those who failed in January, a  second session exam will be planned in August/September. 

All the exams are exclusevely in person.

 

Marine ecology fieldtrip


Additional information:

A dissertation of 10 minutes based on the presentation is graded not only on its content but also on its quality , clarity, respect of the timing.
An oral presentation. The student will have to describe to the whole class in about ten minutes the activities of the week with an introduction, objectives, the results obtained, a discussion. He-she must also be able to take a critical look at his experimental approach.

Work placement(s)

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

Field trip
During the field trip (station STARESO of the University of Liège- Calvi Corsica) the concepts to a practical study of the distribution of the marine organisms in relation to biotic and abiotique factors are applied.

These approaches are made in snorkelling, in scuba diving* followed by determinations under binocular, photographic documents taken by the student.

*not compulsory

* not compulsary, only possible if you have your licence and a medical check-ups done less than 12 months ago

Marine ecology fieldtrip

During the field trip (station STARESO of the University of Liège- Calvi Corsica) the concepts to a practical study of the distribution of the marine organisms in relation to biotic and abiotic factors are applied.
These approaches are made in snorkelling, in scuba diving followed by determinations under binocular, photographic documents taken by the student.
* non obligatoire, en règle de formalité (certificat médical, brevet...)

Organizational remarks

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

  • Respect class times.
  • If you contact the secretary or the professor by e-mail,  do not expect the replies to be immediate. Please, be patient.
  • University-assigned student e-mail is the Official means of communication with all students.

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

None

Contacts

See OCEA0057-B-a and OCEA0057-A-b to have a full description.

Marine ecology

Prof Sylvie Gobert
Océanologie Institut de Chimie. B6c-2/49
Tél: 04 3663329 e-mail:sylvie.gobert@uliege.be                                  
Secretariat M Lunetta: 04 366 50 62
https://www.facebook.com/oceanbioulg/ http://labos.ulg.ac.be/oceanologie/ http://www.stareso.ulg.ac.be/

Prof Krishna Das
Océanologie Institut de Chimie. B6c-2/81 Unite d'Ecologie Marine, Laboratoire d'Ecologie animale et d'Ecotoxicologie Tél: 04 3663321 e-mail:krishna.das@uliege.be

  • Meeting with my secretary: Mrs Mariella Lunetta is in her office  (B6C, room 1/21 , Sart Tilman) the Tuesday from 8:30 -10:30 am and the Thursday from 13:30-15:00.
  • Meeting with me: I will make time available during and directly after the classes for your questions. I rarely can be available for unscheduled meeting. To make appointment , call 04 366 50 62 (Mrs Lunetta) or send an email: M.Lunetta@uliege.be
  • My malbox is in the room 2/48.
We ask for your co-operation with these regulations.

Introduction to marine ecosystems modelling

Prof. Marilaure Grégoire,

MAST research group

Department of Astrophysics, Geophysics and Oceanography (AGO)

e-mail : mgregoire@uliege.be

Association of one or more MOOCs