Diploma in Marine Studies VEN014

Understand and develop Develop a sound knowledge of Marine Biology and Management. This 600 hour course is designed to provide a broad based, solid foundation for people working or wishing to work in Marine conservation, tourism or research. If you are seeking to work in these industries, we often find people who a certificate like this, together with an Open Water Divers Lisence and Boat Lisence are more employable than a Degree graduate. If you want to discuss possible career paths, use our free career and course counselling service, and talk with an experienced academic.

If you want to discuss possible career paths, use our free career and course counselling service, and talk with an experienced academic.

Course Structure
Core Modules: These three (3) modules provide foundation knowledge for the Certificate in Marine Studies.

Elective Modules: In addition to the core modules, students study any 3 of the following 5 modules.

Note that each module in the Certificate in Marine Studies is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.

What\'s covered by the Core Modules?

MARINE STUDIES I

This course has 9 lessons as follows:

1. Marine Ecology Systems
Ecology; Marine Weather (including El Nino, Thermocline, Gulf streams, etc), Continental shelf, Nutrient cycle, Red tide, Plankton, Marine Plants (including Mangroves, Shallow & Deep water algae, etc)
2. Shallow Waters & Reefs
Coral Reefs, Rocky Shorelines, Estuaries, Introduction to marine arthropods
3. Shellfish & Crustaceans
Molluscs and Brachiopods. True Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Lobsters, Prawns etc
4. Squid, Octopus, and Other Primitive Animals
(Cephalopods and Clupeoids, etc)
5. Fish Part A
(Cartilaginous Fish) Sharks, Eels, Rays; Shark Lifecycle, How dangerous are sharks? Effect of sharks on tourism, etc.
6. Fish Part B
(Bony Fish) Fish Anatomy/structure (identifying external & internal parts); legalities (protection of wildlife), types of fish, etc
7. Marine Mammals
(Dolphins, Whales, etc) Types of marine mammals, protection and politics, position of these animals in the food chain, products derived from marine mammals & substitutes for those products.
8. Turtles, Sea Snakes and Seabirds
Types of turtles & sea snakes; toxicity of sea snakes; turtle protection, penguins and other sea birds (eg stints, knots, pelicans, swans, gulls, eagles, ibis, egrets, terns, shearwaters, gannets, albatross, prions, oyster-catchers and petrels).
9. Human Impact on Marine Environments & Fishing
Human impact on marine environments; commercial vs recreational fishing, significance of certain mesopelagic fish, techniques for managing stocks of fish & other marine life.

MARINE STUDIES II
There are 10 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction and Simple Organisms (Protists, Sponges etc)
2. Marine Plants
3. Cnidarians and Worms:
* Anemones
* Jellyfish
* Crustaceans
* Flatworms
4. Arthropods
5. Molluscs
6. Echinoderms:
* Starfish
* Sea Urchins
* Sea Cucumbers
7. Non-Bony Fishes:
* Lampreys
* Hagfishes
* Sharks
* Rays
8. Bony Fishes I
9. Bony Fishes II
10. Marine Mammals

EARTH SCIENCE

There are 9 lessons as follows:

1. Structure and Forces - including plate tectonics and volcanoes
2. Rocks and Minerals - this lesson also looks at the formation and features of rocks and minerals
3. Surface Changes - erosion, weathering and surface waters
4. The Oceans - this lesson covers examines waves, seawater, tides and the corriolis effect
5. Air and Weather - the structure of the atmosphere, seasons,solar radiation and meteorology
6. The Greenhouse Effect - also including the ozone layer and atmospheric pollutants
7. Global Weather Patterns - looks at climate and climate classification
8. Geological Time - relative dating, radiocarbon dating, fossils and more
9. Modern Environmental - Issues