Educational guide 2023_24 Facultade de Ciencias do Mar

Contents

Topic	Sub-topic
Lesson 1. The marine environment.	Classification of marine environments and organisms. Abiotic conditions: solar radiation, temperature, salinity, density, pressure. Oceanic circulation.
Lesson 2. Phytoplankton and primary production.	Main groups of phytoplankton. Photosynthesis and primary production. Factors that control primary production. Spatial and temporal variability.
Lesson 3. Microbial plankton: decomposition of organic matter.	Bacteria, archea, virus and heterotrophic protists. Biomass, production and bacterial growth efficiency. Factors that control the bacterial growth: resources versus predation.
Lesson 4. Zooplankton and pelagic food webs.	Main groups of zooplankton. Transfer of energy and trophic chains. Types of pelagic food webs.
Lesson 5. Benthonic Organisms.	Main groups of benthonic plants and animals. Factors that determine the structure of benthonic communities.
Lesson 6. Benthonic communities.	Benthonic communities of shallow rocky and sandy environments. Benthonic communities of deep systems.
Lesson 7. Human impact on the marine environment.	Overexploitation. Invasive species. Destruction and alteration of habitats. Climate change.