Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
| Master in biology of organisms and ecology (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits | |||
| Master in oceanography (120 ECTS) | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course on the biology of coral reefs follows the same structure as the reference work (see "Recommended or compulsory reading and course notes" tab).
After an introduction to coral reef ecosystems, we will review
- The main reef builders and space occupiers
- The abiotic environment
- Symbiotic interactions
- Microbial, microalgal, and planktonic reef life
- Reef fish
- Reef fisheries and reef aquaculture
- Coral reefs in the modern world
- Consequences to reefs of changing environmental stress
- The future, human population, and management
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
At the end of the coral reef biology course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the coral reef ecosystem, its structure, functioning, and threats to it.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Basic knowledge in biology and ecology.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
Lectures in coral reef biology will be given face-to-face and will possibly be followed by presentations by students or by an activity devoted to the determination of scleractinian, based on their macro- and microscopic morphology.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Recommended or required readings
Powerpoint presentations used for lectures will be given to students. Additional content (scientific articles, book chapters) will also be made available on the course's e-campus space.
The reference book for this course is:
Sheppard, Charles R. C., Simon K. Davy, and Graham M. Pilling,
The Biology of Coral Reefs, 1st ed (Oxford, 2009; online ed, Oxford Academic, 1 Sept. 2009)
https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198566359.001.0001
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam ( multiple-choice questionnaire, open-ended questions )
Written work / report
Additional information:
The evaluation of the course will be based on
- bibliographic synthesis accompanied by a presentation on a theme of your choice in the field of coral reef biology. This work will be done in groups and presented in class.
- a written face-to-face exam. It will consist of open questions, multiple choice questions, and "true or false".
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Dr Stephane Roberty
Animal Physiology and Ecophysiology (Bat B22)
InBioS - PHYTOsystems
4 Chemin de la vallée
4000 Liège
sroberty@uliege.be
Phone|04 366 22 15