Responses in a changing Marine Environment - Experiment in marine global change ecology

The course will follow a 3-steps approach, whereby each step will consist of theory followed by a substantial practical part consisting of a specific case:

Step 1 (preparatory phase): analysis of an actual research question on global change in the marine environment, literature study and design of an experiment to answer the
question put forward: correct formulation of a research question and hypothesis, digital sources analysis, experimental design, selection of model organism and model system, obtaining biological material (field or culture), critical interpretation of available protocols.

Step 2 (experimental phase): set-up of the experiment and application of up-to-date experimental facilities within the Belgian node of the network EMBRC (including culture
collections): sample collection in the field, lab experiments, planning and feasibility and risk analysis of an experiment, application of physiological and biogeochemical
measurements, use of chemical tracers.

Step 3 (interpretation phase): interpretation and correct reporting of the obtained outcome, standardisation of obtained measurements, failure analysis.