Human Uses, Monitoring, and Biodiversity

This unit explores the diversity of marine life and habitats alongside human uses, technologies, and impacts on the ocean. Students investigate monitoring tools, governance and enforcement, resource extraction and energy, and conservation solutions to connect species- and ecosystem-level science with real-world management and sustainable choices.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze the ecological roles and vulnerabilities of major marine taxa and habitats presented in the unit (e.g., cetaceans, pinnipeds, seabirds, cephalopods, echinoderms, annelids, seagrass, salt marshes, reefs) using evidence from case studies
• Evaluate human activities and stressors (shipping, deep-sea mining, fisheries, gyres/transport of debris, ocean energy development, tourism, sunscreen and pathogen dynamics) and prioritize their ecological and socioeconomic risks using criteria and examples from the unit
• Apply ocean-monitoring technologies and law-enforcement strategies to design a practical monitoring and compliance plan for a defined marine area, justifying tool selection, sampling methods, and enforcement actions
• Demonstrate the ability to develop and defend actionable conservation or management recommendations (e.g., sustainable seafood choices, reef restoration, protected areas, pollution mitigation) tailored to specific species, habitats, or socioeconomic contexts