AFI-30806 Fisheries Ecology

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

AFI-20306 Aquaculture and Fisheries, AFI-31306 Life History of Aquatic Organisms

Contents:

The course deals with the ecology of fishes and other aquatic organisms in relation to the exploitation of fisheries resources. Direct and indirect effects of fishing are treated at the organism, population, community and ecosystem level. Subjects include the main categories of organisms involved in global fisheries and their biological characteristics, principles of fish population dynamics, data collection, stock assessments, ecosystem effects of fisheries, and alternative approaches towards fisheries management. Interactions with marine mammals and birds will also be treated. Special attention is given to the environment - fish - fishery interactions. In the tutorials the principles of population dynamics, simulation models, and virtual population analysis is taught.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- explain the main biological characteristics of the main categories of fish and other organisms involved in global fisheries;
- evaluate the relative importance of different global environments for global fisheries;
- apply basic models of fish population dynamics and fisheries yield models, using computer-supported simulations;
- explain the main characteristics of tropical marine, tropical freshwater, temperate marine, and temperate freshwater ecosystems and their fish communities;
- evaluate the ecosystem effects of fisheries;
- analyse the relationships between ecosystem characteristics, fish ecology, fishing gear use and fishery community and their effects on fishery outcome.

Activities:

- follow lectures, studying textbook and tutorial notes;
- perform exercises in tutorials.

Examination:

Examination by a test on the tutorial exercises and a written exam with open questions.

Literature:

- study guide with detailed study objectives;
- textbook: "Marine Fisheries Ecology' Jennings, S., Kaiser, M.J., & Reynolds, J.D. (2001). - notes for tutorial exercises;
- internet site with presentations, background information assignments and self-test questions;
- selected scientific articles.