BIOL 271Introductory Marine Ecology
An introductory course focusing on marine biology and ecology. This course introduces students to: the diversity and physiology of marine organisms; biological oceanography; the structure and function of marine ecosystems such as the deep sea, polar seas, rocky shores, mangrove forests and coral reefs and marine conservation issues.
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Course details
- Dates
- 7 Jul 2025 to 9 Nov 2025
- Starts
- Trimester 2
- Fees
- NZ$1,377.60 for
- International fees
- NZ$6,362.40
- Lecture start times
- Monday 11.00am
- Tuesday 12.00pm
- Wednesday 10.00am
- Campus
- Kelburn
- Estimated workload
- Approximately 200 hours or 11.8 hours per week for 17 weeks
- Points
- 20
Entry restrictions
Taught by
School of Biological Sciences—Faculty of Science
About this course
This course provides a global perspective of marine ecosystems. The course begins with a series of lectures dealing with life in the sea, with a focus on the physiological strategies used to survive in this environment. The next lectures then deal with plankton ecology and biological oceanography, explaining how physical processes in the sea influence biological productivity. Lectures then describe all of the world’s major marine ecosystems, ranging from polar oceans and the deep sea, to temperate rocky shores and mud flats, through to tropical seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and coral reefs. The final series of lectures then discusses some key problems facing marine organisms and ecosystems in New Zealand and beyond. The course also contains 4 x 3-hour in-person laboratory classes.
Course learning objectives
Students who pass this course should be able to:
Describe and explain the major groups of plants and animals that live in the sea.
Describe and explain the strategies that these organisms use to live in the sea.
Describe and explain the physical marine environment and how this influences biological productivity.
Describe and explain the different tropical, temperate and polar marine ecosystems.
Describe and explain the major problems facing marine organisms and ecosystems.
Present scientific information in an appropriate written format.
Design a simple experiment.
Analyse, interpret and critically evaluate scientific information.
How this course is taught
The course consists of a combination of lectures and lab classes.
This course requires attendance for some of its activities, for which there are no online alternatives. These include all lab classes.
Some assessment items will require in-person attendance, including lab assignments and the final test.
Assessment
- Final in-person test Mark: 30%
- Lab report 1 Mark: 25%
- Lab report 2 Mark: 25%
- Online test Mark: 20%
Assessment dates and extensions
Once you've signed up to this course, you can use to see due dates for assessments and information about extensions.
Mandatory requirements
Find out what you must do to pass this course.
In addition to achieving an overall pass mark of at least 50% students must:
- Achieve a minimum of 30% for each assessment item.
If you believe that exceptional circumstances may prevent you from meeting the mandatory course requirements, contact the course coordinator for advice as soon as possible.
Lecture times and rooms
What you’ll need to get
Personal lab coats are required for all lab classes.
Recommended texts
Recommended texts add to your understanding of the course.
Title: Marine Ecology
Edition: 3rd Edition
Authors: Michel J. Kaiser, Simon Jennings, David Thomas
ISBN: 9780198717850
Who to contact
Selected offering
BIOL 271
7 Jul–9 Nov 2025
Trimester 2 · CRN 9216