MB2050:03
Functional Biology of Marine Organisms
Townsville
26 lectures, 30 hours practicals, 12 hours field work. First semester.
Staff: Assoc. Professor D Bellwood, Mrs O Bellwood.
The description of tropical marine habitats identifying key biological features of each. Functional biology of selected invertebrate and vertebrate marine groups with comparative treatments of benthic and nektonic, planktonic and pelagic organisms. The identification of structural and functional features of key marine organism assemblages in reef, mangrove, benthic and oceanic environments.
Learning Objectives:
- identifying the major biological challenges which aquatic existence imposes on marine organisms;
- analysing the structural and functional solutions developed by key groups of marine organisms to meet such challenges;
- reviewing how organisms from very different taxonomic backgrounds respond to common requirements of feeding, growth, locomotion and reproduction in marine environments.
Assessment by examination (60%); assignments (40%).