Marine Biology with Conservation

This Cert HE course is designed to cater for students who have 48 or more UCAS Tariff points in any Level 3 qualification. On successful completion of the Cert HE, you will be able to progress directly into the second year of our FdSc Marine Biology programmes.

The United Nations has proclaimed 2021-2030 to be the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Higher Education must now produce science graduates capable of realising the ambitious goals of this framework.

These graduates must be able to grasp the global scope and timeliness of the issues at hand, to undertake the science required that will provide answers to questions as they arise, then convey these faithfully and articulately to whichever audience needs to hear them.

You will be starting a journey on a marine programme like no other.

To our knowledge, no other degree programme in the UK has embedded the Ocean Literacy programme promoted by UNESCO to this extent. We can find no other course that has based a module around this programme by using the seven ocean literacy principles as Assessed Learning Outcomes.

You will be embarking on a programme of study which embeds science communication. In addition, other modules have learning outcomes that make the dissemination of marine scientific knowledge a core attribute.

You will be based in a fantastic rural campus in the heart of Newquay, with a small, family feel. The staff are research active and bring that expertise to the class.

You will be 10-30 minutes’ walk from a range of north Cornish coast habitats, a dive school with a range of dive courses on offer, a local and very active marine conservation group, a research-equipped vessel for coastal work and you will be 45 minutes’ drive from an additional range of south Cornish coast habitats. You will be four hours’ travel from the world-famous biodiversity hotspot of the Isles of Scilly. There are a number of marine protected areas on your doorstep in which to learn your subject area, including one on your doorstep – Newquay and the Gannel Marine Conservation Zone.

Finally, we have strong links with local conservation and marine organisations to develop your work-related experience, which is a very strong thread through the programme.

Explore your options — we offer CertHE, FdSc, and BSc routes in this subject area, with different course lengths, levels of study, and entry tariffs, to suit your goals.

From BSc you can also progress to our MSc Conservation Project Management to deepen your expertise and build advanced professional skills.

Course Modules

Modules include:

Our Ocean Planet
This 40-credit module encompasses the UNESCO promoted Ocean Literacy principles; integrating oceanography and marine ecology for a holistic understanding of our global ocean. Currents, weather and ocean chemistry are inextricably bound to, influence and are in turn are influenced by life in the oceans and on the land.

Skills for Scientific Success
The ability to “process and analyse” raw data, find patterns and communicate findings to others is a critical skill in the sciences. This module aims to produce students with the necessary toolkit to handle data, apply appropriate methods to establish patterns and to communicate findings to different audiences and/or stakeholders.

Marine Survey Techniques
In order to conserve the ocean, we must first understand it and to understand it we have to know how to explore it! This module is designed to introduce the skills needed to investigate marine life and habitats safely and responsibly. Theory of effective survey design is taught practically through a series of field and laboratory workshops. These will be reviewed and underpinned with class sessions to develop skills and understanding of survey design, data collection, data handling and analysis. Students will be introduced to the principles of GIS (Geographical Information System software) and how to use this to produce maps.

Fundamentals of Biology
This biology-based module provides students with an understanding of the key anatomical and physiological concepts and practical skills which underpin the study of marine organisms.

Diversity of Life
This module introduces the incredible diversity of life on Earth and the systems of taxonomy and classification that we use to understand it. The module will introduce the basic theories of evolution and by which it works.