BIO4400 – Pelagic Ecology
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Course content
The course gives an introduction to the ecosystems of the free water masses and will cover topics ranging from the physicochemical environment to food webs, biological processes, and evolutionary adaptations of pelagic organisms, to how contemporary environmental challenges affect these systems. These topics will be explored in lectures, laboratory and computer exercises, and in the field. The fieldwork includes cruise(s) with the research vessel Trygve Braarud and a four-day field course in Drøbak.
Learning outcome
This course provides a basic understanding of small and large-scale processes that govern the structure and function of pelagic ecosystems. You will receive an introduction to:
- The physicochemical environment, and its role for the vertical structure of the pelagic habitat.
- Organisms, biological processes, evolutionary adaptations, and food webs.
- The role of global change for the pelagic ecosystems
- Pelagic sampling
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Recommended previous knowledge
General ecology and biodiversity (for ex. BIOS1150 – Biodiversity/BIOS2220 – Aquatic Biodiversity), basic physics (for ex. FYS1001 – Innføring i fysikk), and basic knowledge of R-programing (STK1000 – Introduction to Applied Statistics).
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with BIO3400 – Aquatic Ecology (discontinued).
- 10 credits overlap with BIOS4400 – Pelagic Ecology.
Teaching
The teaching consists of:
- Lectures (The instructive lectures prior to activities in the course is mandatory)
- Laboratory exercises (Mandatory)
- Computer exercises (Mandatory)
- Colloquia
- Project work (Mandatory)
- Cruises with the research vessel Trygve Braarud in Inner Oslofjord, and a week long field course in Drøbak (Mandatory)
- Laboratory and computer exercises, cruises, fieldwork, and project work are mandatory, as are instructive lectures prior to these.
Mandatory course work must be approved before the student can attend the exam.
The first lecture is mandatory. If you can not attend the first lecture, please send a note to studieinfo@ibv.uio.no, before the first lecture.
As the teaching involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance. Read about your insurance cover as a student.
The course is only given if three or more students meet in the first lecture.
Approved mandatory course work is valid for 3 years.
Access to teaching
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 has a fee on 150 NOK per day.
Examination
Final written exam (3h) counts 100%.
To be able to take the final written exam, students need to receive a passing grade on reports from laboratory exercises, project and Field work. All mandatory teaching must be passed.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt. It will also be counted as one of the three attempts to sit the exam for this course, if you sit the exam for one of the following courses: BIO3400 – Aquatic Ecology (discontinued), BIOS4400 – Pelagic Ecology
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper 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.