Aquatic Environments (ENVM2003)

Course overview

Our society is highly dependent on ecosystem services supplied by freshwater, estuarine and marine aquatic ecosystems including the provision of food, water, energy, and recreation and cultural activities. Yet aquatic habitats include some of the most fragile and most threatened ecosystems on earth. Cumulative impacts from agriculture, urbanisation, industrial production, invasive species, and climate change have resulted in degradation, fragmentation, and destruction of aquatic environments. Sustainable management of these systems is dependent on understanding the physical, chemical, hydrological and ecological processes in freshwater and marine ecosystems, and their significance for ecosystem structure and function. ENVM2003 Aquatic Environments will provide students with the knowledge base necessary to prepare individuals for advanced course work in Environmental Science and employment in the management of aquatic ecosystems.
This second level course will develop the systems thinking basis critical to Environmental Science by taking an integrated approach to aquatic environments from glacial ecosystems to deep-sea ecosystems. We will start by understanding where the water that makes up these systems came from, and the broad-scale atmospheric and hydrologic cycles that govern its distribution and movement. This will be followed by four modules covering the physical, chemical, hydrological and ecological characteristics and processes of glacial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems. In addition to interactive lectures and expert guest lectures and tutorials, ENVM2003 will include field trips to regional ecosystems where students will engage in interdisciplinary exercises and practical skills training. Through a series of written, oral, laboratory and field exercises, this course will deliver a catchment perspective on the management of aquatic environments with a focus on Queensland and Australian ecosystems.

Water.ﾠ

Where does it even come from?ﾠ

Why is it so critical and how do its properties shapeﾠfreshwater and marine ecosystems?

ENVM2003ﾠ“Aquatic Environments”, is a two-unit course, intended to provide an overview of theﾠorigins of water on our planet, and the roleﾠand functioning of aquatic ecosystems.ﾠ Our understanding and management of aquatic environments is one of the great challenges of the 21st century.ﾠ Due to its introductory nature, ENVM2003 will look broadly across physical, chemical and biological processes and their interactions in aquatic systems ranging from glacial to the deep-sea.ﾠ Students will come to understand the key ecological components of aquatic systems, the ecosystems services they provide, and the threats to the functioning of these systems.ﾠ This approach ensures that students complete the course with an understanding of the underlying processes that occur in aquatic environments and can apply this knowledge to a wide-range of situations.ﾠOn completion, students will be able toﾠcommunicate the importance and functioning of aquatic systems and have a solid foundation of knowledge to underpin further studies in environmental science, and a career in the management and conservation of aquatic systems.

Course requirements

Assumed background

None

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Timetables are available on MyTimetable.

Students are required to attend or watch the 2 hour lecture each week and a 2ﾠhour practical in each module.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to provide you with an introduction to aquatic ecosystems that will help you to explain their importance in a global context. The primary goal is to examine similarities and differences between the physical, biological and chemical components of aquatic systems. Key themes will be the origin of water, and how it connects systems across the planet in both space and time.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Five Online Quizzes

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

30%

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Quizzes will be open through Blackboard for one week after the associated lecture (weeks 2,5,8,11,13). Once you start the quiz, you will have 20 minutes. The quiz will automatically submit after 20 minutes. There are no multiple attempts, nor can you interrupt the quiz.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for the extension or deferrable availability notes relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for the late submission guidelines relating to this assessment item.

Four in-class practicals

Mode

Written

Category

Practical/ Demonstration, Quiz, Tutorial/ Problem Set

Weight

30%

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07

Task description

Submission guidelines

Practical's and the associated assignment will occur in class in weeks 6, 7, 11 an 13.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for the extension or deferrable availability notes relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for the late submission guidelines relating to this assessment item.

Written Essay

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

40%

Due date

4/11/2024 5:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L04, L05, L06, L07

Task description

Submission guidelines

Your essay will need to be submitted through a Turnitin link via Blackboard

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for the extension or deferrable availability notes relating to this assessment item.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

See ADDITIONAL ASSESSMENT INFORMATION for the late submission guidelines relating to this assessment item.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Assessment hurdles: Assessment hurdle: Must have an average grade of >49.5% on the five quizzes, and an average grade of >49.5% on the five practicals.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Supplementary assessment is available

Courses graded 1-7

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Applications for Extensions

Information on applying for an extension can be found here - my.UQ Applying for an extension

Extension applications must be received by the assessment due date and time.

If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a Word document outlining why you cannot provide the documentation and upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.

Please note: While your extension request is being considered, you should work towards completing and submitting your assessment as soon as possible.

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses. You might need to consider applying for removal of course. We strongly recommend you seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.

Extensions with Student Access Plans (SAP)

For extensions up to 7 days, your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, extension requests longer than 7 days (for any one assessment item) will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. A maximum of two applications may be submitted for any one assessment item, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Turnitin

By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment.”

All students must ensure they receive their Turnitin receipt on submission of any assessments. A valid Turnitin receipt will be the only evidence accepted if assessments are missing. Without evidence, the assessment will receive the standard late penalty, or after five days, will receive zero.

In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Course Blackboard site will contain both required and optional (recommended but not examinable) material.

Please check the Announcements section of the Blackboard site regularly for information updates.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.