This module will equip students with a foundational understanding of aquatic environments (freshwater and marine) as habitats.
The basic biological classification of aquatic organisms will be studied, including their forms and functions, particularly their ecological roles. A whole range from prokaryotes (archaea and eubacteria) to eukaryotes (e.g. protozoa, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates) will be examined, allowing students to differentiate between various taxonomic groupings. Students will learn to identify organisms based on diagnostic traits, such as symmetry, tissue organisation and coelomic and embryonic development.
Students will also be able to distinguish similarities and differences in freshwater and marine environments and identify the challenges each pose to their respective inhabitants.