BIOS4301 – Marine bentic ecology
Course description
Course content
The course gives an overview of marine benthic systems. There is a focus on hard- and soft bottom systems. The main focus is on the ecology of the habitats. The course includes a one-week field course with a focus on the ecology of species and habitats.
Learning outcome
After the course you should:
- Be able to explain how benthic habitats are defined by abiotic factors and the species present
- Know the dominating groups of organisms in the different systems
- Explain the most important abiotic factors in different systems
- Understand the threats to different benthic habitats
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must apply for courses in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
Nordic citizens and applicants residing in the Nordic countries may apply to take this course as a single course student.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
Students are ranked by the following criteria:
1. Master´s students at the Department of Biosciences and master´s programme students at the MN Faculty who have the course approved in their study plan. Students in Marine biology and limnology are given priority,
2. Other program students.
3. Single course students and exchange students.
Applicants are ranked by number of credits within each group; all applicants within the 1st group are ranked before applicants in the 2nd group etc. For students who have equal number of credits within one group, admission is determined by random selection.
The course has a capacity of 20 students.
Recommended previous knowledge
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with BIO3300 – Marine biology (discontinued).
- 10 credits overlap with BIO4300 – Marine Biology (discontinued).
- 10 credits overlap with BIO4301 – Marine bentic ecology (continued).
Teaching
- Lectures
- Mandatory Field course
- Mandatory laboratory activity
- Mandatory student presentations
Teaching takes place from mid August until mid October. The course includes a one-week (week 36) field course in Drøbak. Participation is mandatory. It is also mandatory to make and deliver a presentation based on the field course, and one on a given topic from the text book.
Mandatory course work must be approved before the student can attend the exam. Marked mandatory assignments are valid for 3 years.
Attendance is mandatory for the first lecture. This also applies for those on the waiting list. You will lose your seat on the course if documentation for absence is not provided to the student administration studieinfo@ibv.uio.no prior to the first lecture.
As the teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Cost of taking the course
The excursion to Drøbak has a fee on 150 NOK per day, total NOK 750.-
Examination
Final written exam which counts 100% towards the final grade.
To be able to take the final exam the students have to pass the laboratory reports from fieldwork, and pass the presentation on a topic from the curriculum.
It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for the courses: BIO4301 – Marine bentic ecology (continued), BIO3300 – Marine biology (discontinued), BIO4300 – Marine Biology (discontinued).
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English.You may submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.