Marine Conservation Biology
The course aims at training students on key concepts of ecology and policy relevant to marine conservation issues at the population to ecosystems level, principles and approaches for marine conservation from both the biology and policy perspectives, strategies and tools for the sustainable use of marine biological resources, including emerging approaches such as ecosystem based management and ocean planning. The student will acquire the following skills: ability to identify strategies and tools for the conservation and management of marine biodiversity, propose actions and measures for the reduction and mitigation of human pressure on marine ecosystems and for the sustainable use of marine resources. The student will also acquire skills useful for interfacing with agencies and institutional bodies involved in the management of the marine environment and its resources.
Course contents
History of marine conservation. Marine biodiversity. Threats to marine biodiversity: loss of biodiversity, vulnerability, extinction, biological invasions. Endangered, vulnerable, rare, endemic and priority species. Long-lived marine animal conservation. Marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relationships. Consequences of species loss on the provisioning of ecosystem's goods and services for human wellbeing. Ecosystem based management for sustainable use of marine resources. Political, legal and ethical issues of concern in marine conservation biology.
Final competences
- Knowledge of key ecological concepts relevant to marine conservation issues.
- Knowledge of threatened and vulnerable marine species and habitats.
- Knowledge of the consequences of biodiversity loss on the provisioning of marine ecosystems' goods and services.
- Knowledge of the strategies and tools for the sustainable management of marine resources.
- Knowledge of the main international initiatives for marine conservation.
Further course information can be found here: https://studiekiezer.ugent.be/2026/studiefiche/en/C003894
