Coastal Processes & Management (ENVM3200)

Course overview

The coast is the most dynamic zone on earth and encompasses a wide range of beautiful and complex systems such as coral reefs, beaches, estuaries and lagoons. Over 80% of the population of Australia lives near the coast and is reliant on these coastal systems for employment, food, recreation, and protection. Being able to understand, describe, and predict changes in these systems is crucial for the management of the coastal environment. This course adds to the knowledge you have gained from other areas of natural and social science such as geomorphology, marine science, environmental science and management, and geography but does not assume previous knowledge of coastal systems. The course will build an understanding of coastal systems and the waves, currents, tides that act to change the coast over time. The management aspect of the course will outline some of the major problems facing the coast, some solutions, and some management approaches. In the practical sessions, you will start with basic features in programs such as Excel and ArcGIS. You will learn some aspects of coastal mapping and we will then work towards applying coastal change models and collecting and analysing data. There is no assumed background on any of the software (such as ArcGIS) in this course. The course is designed to expose you to industry standard software but it will not require previous experience. There is also a two-day field trip to North Stradbroke Island where we will learn about the coast and collect data in the field.

Welcome to Coastal Processes and Management. This course is designed to give you the key concepts and background necessary to understand change on the coast over multiple spatial and temporal scales and apply this understanding to managing the coast effectively. It is an evidenced based course taught by geography faculty members (e.g. geomorphology, oceanography, climate) and as such there will be a focus on: the role of waves and coastal processes in changing the coast; the dynamics of complex coastal systems; how we monitor and model these systems; and, effective communication of this understanding and knowledge.ﾠWe will discuss the management strategies that are used to deal with dramatic short-term or chronic coastal change and outline the inherent difficulties (environmental, social, political, and economic) with managing people and cities in regions where the hazards of coastal erosion and inundation is prominent. We will use real world coastal data and management examples which will show how the knowledge you gain in class is directly relevant to critical issues in coastal management. The concepts and skills developed in this course are crucial in multiple fields of geographical, environmental, and natural science (e.g. data analysis, report writing, concepts of dynamic change in natural systems) and will be transferrable between courses here at UQ and useful for future employment. Beaches are the main coastal system we use to teach these skills and concepts and by the end of this course it is hoped you will have developed a new understanding, respect, and passion for the coastal zone.ﾠ

There is an optional two day and one night field trip to Moreton Bay Research Station on Minjerribah-North Stradbroke Island which usually costs $120 (there is a virtual field trip for those not attending in person). The software used in this course are the Microsoft Office suite (Word and Excel) and GIS (either ArcGIS Pro or QGIS) which can also be used on your personal computers or via the UQ Digital Workspace. This is not a GIS course, so we do not assume a background of GIS, but given it is such an important skill which is critical to future research and employment we will introduce you to GIS applications on the coast. The course is also designed to be "front-loaded" where the skills and knowledge needed to complete the quantitative component of your final assessments are covered as early as possible (in the first 6-8 weeks depending on the timing of semester breaks and public holidays).

Course requirements

Assumed background

GEOS1100 or equivalent (ERTH1000 for example). GEOS2100 and/or GEOS2103 are desirable.

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

ENVM7200 (co-taught)

Jointly taught details

This course is jointly-taught with:

All lectures, most practicals, and some assessment is shared between ENVM3200 and ENVM7200.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

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

Additional timetable information

Consult your timeable to see the timing of the lectures, practicals and field trip.

There is an optional two day and one night field trip to Moreton Bay Research Station on Minjerribah-North Stradbroke Island which usually costs around $120. The field trip will run on Saturday and Sunday with an overnight on Saturday.

Aims and outcomes

The aim of the course is to provide students with an understanding of selected aspects of coastal environments and of management issues and strategies relevant to coastal problems, thus contributing to UQ graduate attributes.

These goals are achieved through understanding and reflection on: the content of lectures, the selected course readings; observations and analysis conducted during the course practicals and field trip; and research and knowledge synthesis achieved upon completion of the assignments and study for the examination.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Practical Workbook

Mode

Written

Category

Notebook/ Logbook

Weight

20%

Due date

17/04/2025 5:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

Online submission by Turnitin only by the due date. No hard copy or assignment cover sheets required.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

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.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved.

Final Report

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

30%

Due date

30/05/2025 5:00 pm

Task description

Submission guidelines

ONLINE SUBMISSION BY TURNITIN ONLY by the due date. No hard copy or assignment cover sheets required.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

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.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved.

End of Semester Exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

Course grading

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

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

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 to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. 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 written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum timeframe applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for timeframes. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total. If you are incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, you are advised to apply for Removal of Course.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

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

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

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.