Details of LS4207 (Spring 2026)
| Level: 4 | Type: Theory | Credits: 4.0 |
| Course Code | Course Name | Instructor(s) |
|---|---|---|
| LS4207 | Marine Biology | Punyasloke Bhadury |
| Preamble |
|---|
| This interdisciplinary course will lay the foundation on the fundamentals of marine environment including on marine biodiversity and key ecological processes shaped by different trophic levels. The course has been designed to provide an understanding on the physical, chemical and biological paradigm of oceanography with a focus on the coastal ocean which is shaped by land, river and flow of freshwater. The course also provides an understanding of the modern challenges faced by the coastal ocean including from pollution, among other stressors. Through lectures, discussion, field visits and preparation of field notes, the students will gain a deeper understanding on the broad thematic of marine environment and biology that connects to global sustainability and allied interdisciplinary paradigms. |
| Syllabus |
|---|
| Syllabus
Introduction to Marine Biology: Basic knowledge of the range of organisms, both plant and animal, in the sea; fundamentals of chemical oceanography; structure of ocean basins, marine sediments; fundamentals of water movement, tides and currents; Functional Biology of Marine Organisms: Functional biology of selected invertebrate and vertebrate marine groups including benthic, nektonic, planktonic and pelagic organisms; Marine organism assemblages in reefs, mangroves, intertidal, coastal and deep-sea environments Marine Ecology: An overview of tropical marine ecology; Introduction to natural and anthropogenic processes that can influence the biotic communities in the marine environment; Impact assessment and monitoring; Biological Oceanography: Plankton community structure and its interactions with the physical and chemical environment; Nutrients and productivity, Plankton life cycles, behavior of zooplankton and nekton Coral reef ecology:Population dynamics, reef community structure and diversity, effects of environmental disturbances, competition and predation, and reef management. This course will also include practical components including a trip to the near-shore ecosystem as well as getting students acquainted with measurements of basic hydrological and nutrient parameters in estuarine and coastal waters. |
| References |
|---|
| References
Peter Castro and Michael Huber, Marine Biology 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, (2003) |
Course Credit Options
| Sl. No. | Programme | Semester No | Course Choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IP | 2 | Elective |
| 2 | IP | 4 | Elective |
| 3 | MP | 2 | Elective |
| 4 | MP | 4 | Not Allowed |
| 5 | MR | 2 | Elective |
| 6 | MR | 4 | Elective |
| 7 | MS | 10 | Elective |
| 8 | MS | 4 | Not Allowed |
| 9 | MS | 6 | Not Allowed |
| 10 | MS | 8 | Elective |
| 11 | RS | 1 | Elective |
| 12 | RS | 2 | Elective |