ENVS 227R Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea Rome Fall 2017

Transcription

1 ENVS 227R Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea Rome Fall 2017 Instructor: Susanna Greco, PhD Office: room n.116 Phone (office): +39 (06) Phone (mobile): Class Meetings: Monday, 9:30 am. 12:00 p.m. from September the 4 th to December the 11 th ; final exam is on Monday, December the 11 th Office Hours: by appointment on Monday or Thursday Core Area Satisfied: Knowledge area: Scientific literacy Skill: Critical Thinking Skills and Dispositions Values Area: Promoting Civic Engagement or Leadership Course Description: The Mediterranean Sea is the largest and deepest enclosed sea on Earth and a hotspot of biodiversity. Surrounded by Europe, Asia and Africa, the Mediterranean Sea has been for millennia the place where cultures, economies, political systems and religions meet and interact with each other. Its particularities make the Mediterranean Sea a great case study to better understand the functioning of ecological systems and their susceptibility to human activities through time. The objective of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the ecology of the Mediterranean Sea and how the interactions between humans and the geography, oceanography and biology of this sea have shaped the ecosystem we see today. This goal is achieved by introducing the students to fundamental of oceanography and ecological concepts including ecosystem functioning, energy flow and matter transformation, food chain and elemental cycles and the human impacts on the Mediterranean environment. Impact reduction and remediation options would be also discussed, making the student aware of the environmental consequences of societal and individual actions, as well as the potential for reversal. SG ENVS227R Fall

2 Learning Objectives: This course should provide students with: an increased knowledge of the environment, ecosystems and the interconnectivity of its different elements, as well as the role of humans and the influence of their activities in the ecosystem, with focus on the Mediterranean Sea. The student should understand: the historical dimension of human induced changes in the area, as well as the interconnectivity between elements and the notions of positive and negative feedbacks in the ecosystem. In addition to this main objectives, a transversal objective of the course will be to promote critical thinking and environmental awareness, as well as make students conscious of their power and responsibility in relation to the environment. Students will be asked to describe their current view of the Mediterranean Sea, and this will be confronted with their view after the knowledge acquired and the critical analysis provided during the course. At the end of the course students will participate in a Foresight exercise where they will assess the current state of the Mediterranean ecosystems and identify the potential role of the different human impacts discussed in the current situation, as well as possible future realities as a function of different economic, political and management scenarios proposed by them. Specific Goals: With the mastery of this course, student should gain the following competencies: Competency b: Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles, concepts and knowledge of the sciences. Competency g: Demonstrate and understanding of the interconnection among various components of Earth s biosphere and the impact of human activity. Competency e: Demonstrate the capacity to make reasoned and ethical judgments about the impact of science on individual, community and society. Required Textbooks: 1. Trujillo Alan P., Thurman Harold V Essentials of Oceanography. 12 th Edition. Pearson. USA Other Resources: 2. Goffredo S., Dubinsky Z. eds The Mediterranean Sea. Its history and present challenges. Springer. Dordrecht, NL. SG ENVS227R Fall

3 3. Bianchi, C., and Carla Morri Marine Biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea: Situation, Problems and Prospects for Future Research. Marine Pollution Bulletin 40 (5): Coll Marta, Chiara Piroddi, Camille Albouy, Frida Ben Rais Lasram, William W. L. Cheung, Villy Christensen, Vasiliki S. Karpouzi, et al The Mediterranean Sea under Siege: Spatial Overlap between Marine Biodiversity, Cumulative Threats and Marine Reserves. Global Ecology and Biogeography 21 (4): T. Tanhua, D. Hainbucher, K. Schroeder, V. Cardin, M. Alvarez, and G. Civitarese The Mediterranean Sea system: a review and an introduction to the special issue. Ocean Science, 9: Sakai connection Course materials will be also provided via the Sakai learning management system, which can be accessed at: It is expected that students will access and submit assignments and other coursework via the Sakai system using their Loyola ID and password. Readings: Readings will be mainly from the Trujillo-Thurman text book and from Goffredo Dubinsky. Other resources will be posted on Sakai. Readings will be announced in class the week before and should be done prior to the specific class. Please keep up to date with the Sakai site to ensure that you don t miss anything. All the reading material might not be necessarily covered during class time, but it is still considered part of your work and may appear on quizzes and the exams. Experiential Learning On Site (Optional Activity; 12 students max): Optional dates: September or Sep 29-Oct 1, This experiential activity offers an opportunity to meet environmental experts, to acquire higher education competence and share essential experiences on how to perform a scientific research in the Mediterranean Sea. Two-day on-site course to introduce the typical habitats of coastal shallow waters in the Ventotene and Santo Stefano Islands, Tirrenian Sea. Marine activities will focus on Mediterranean Biodiversity, Conservation and Anthropogenic threats by field analysis of characteristic animals, plants and their relationships amongst each other and within the specific habitat with LUC-JFRC teachers and technical experts from the Ventotene and Santo Stefano s Marine Protected Area. Underwater observation, documentation and sampling of different faunal groups will also be included Cost approx. Euro 250,00. SG ENVS227R Fall

4 Course Evaluation: Your grade in the course will be based on: 10% quizzes 15% classroom participation and reflection 25% group presentation 20% foresight exercise 30% Final exam Quizzes (10%): Short quizzes (15-20 minute) will be focused on the lectures, readings and presentations covered and discussed during prior or day class. There will be also quizzes (45 minute) for all students in the scheduled mid-term examination on Monday October 30, 2017 Classroom participation and reflection (15%): This is a very important part of the course. Students must be present during class sessions in order to receive credit as we will hold frequent discussions in the class. For these discussions, students will need to have done the reading and activities ahead of time for class and be prepared. Your grade for this portion of the course will be based on the cogency of your comments (and questions), and the respect for all opinions that you exhibit as we will discuss some controversial questions. The lowest score on these assignments will be dropped from your course evaluation. The participation in the optional Experiential Learning On Site will be considered as an extra value in the final course grading. Group presentation (25%): Students will be separated into several groups of 2-3 each. Each group will prepare a presentation covering different topics of the course. Recent articles should be used to communicate the current status of the issue and include any controversies. Presentations should be around minutes long and the presenting group should then lead and facilitate the class discussion. Foresight exercise (20%) At the end of the course a foresight exercise will be carried out with the help of all students. The foresight exercise aims to predict what is the future of the Mediterranean Sea area under different possible scenarios. Students will be separated in groups and work together to design future scenarios and describe their effect on the Mediterranean. The foresight exercise consists on the following steps: i) identification of the system and subsystem that will be analysed; ii) identification of main drivers of the system; iii) identification of potential micro-scenarios for each driver; iv) identification of plausible macro-scenarios that combine different micro-scenarios; and v) estimation of the effects of the different macro-scenarios in the system. Each group will be evaluated by its contribution to the final product. SG ENVS227R Fall

5 Final Exam (30%): The final exam will be given on Monday, December 11 th (the day in the final examination scheduled for the Fall Session 2017 at the JFRC Rome). Students will have 2 hours to complete the exam. The final will include all material read and discussed throughout the Fall term. Grading: Final letter grades will be calculated as follow, based on the cumulative percentage from the tasks described above: A: A-: B+: B: B-: C+: C: C-: D+: D: F: <60 Course Outline: 13 lesson sessions including 1 mid term test and 2 practical sessions (foresight exercise) + final exam Topics outline: I. Characteristics of the Mediterranean o Geologic origin and Tectonic Evolution o Geologic, Geomorphic and Topographic Particularities o Geography, subdivisions and Coastal Countries o Mediterranean current and past climate o Oceanographic conditions and dynamics o Diversity, Ecosystem Composition and Productivity o Historical anthropogenic influence II. Main Human Impacts and Reduction and Remediation Measures - Climate Change o Sources o Influence of Climate & Species Distributions o Influence on the Sea (Temperature, Sea Level Rise, etc.) o Mitigation and Adaptation Measures - Habitat Fragmentation and Degradation o Causes & Patterns (Tourism, Costal Development, Sediment Loading) - Pollution o Sources o Pesticides/Herbicides/Organic Toxins/Hormones SG ENVS227R Fall

6 - Elevated Biologically Available Nitrogen o Sources o Eutrophication o Influence on Coastal Ecosystems - Shipping and Globalization of Commerce and Trade o Introduction of Exotic/Invasive Species o Mechanisms of Dispersal - Overexplotation & Species Diversity loss I: Overexploitation of Natural Resources o Energy resources o Water resources o Food resources o Minerals resources - Overexplotation & Species Diversity loss II: Fishing Practices and Depletion of Global Fish Stocks o Causes & Patterns o Influence on Individual Species Populations o Influence on Marine Ecosystems. - Overexplotation & Species Diversity loss III: Aquaculture and Mariculture o Impacts o Influence on Marine Ecosystems o Remediation Measures - Sustainable use of the environment and ecosystems: o The Role of International Agreements o Sustainable fisheries o Sustainable agriculture o Sustainable farming o Zero emissions o Mitigation techniques for pollution SG ENVS227R Fall

7 Description of the sessions: The outline of the topics for each session is listed below: Session1 Sept 04, 2017 Introduction of the course - What do you know about the Mediterranean? - Objectives of the course o Why the Mediterranean is as we see it today? Geological and historical perspective of the current Mediterranean o What are the current characteristics of the Mediterranean ecosystem, its main threats and what can we do to preserve it? o How can we shape the future of the Mediterranean? What can be the future of the Mediterranean? - Description of the course: o Units will consist on introduction of the topic in relation to the Mediterranean, overviewing oceanographic, ecological, and historical essential features and related threats and possible mitigation/remediation o Introduce in depth seminars, foresight workshop and cooperative tools (brainstorming, group discussion, etc.) - Students will be assigned to groups for the in depth seminar (Goffredo S., Dubinsky Z. eds). Session2 Sept 11, 2017 Characteristics of the Mediterranean I - Geologic origin and Tectonic Evolution - Geologic, Geomorphic and Topographic Particularities Session3 Sept 18, 2017 Characteristics of the Mediterranean II - Geography, subdivisions and Coastal Countries - Mediterranean current and past climate Session4 Sept 25, 2017 Characteristics of the Mediterranean III - Oceanographic conditions and dynamics SG ENVS227R Fall

8 Session5 Oct 2, 2017 Characteristics of the Mediterranean IV - Diversity, Ecosystem Composition and Productivity I - Diversity, Ecosystem Composition and Productivity II Session6 Oct 9, 2017 Risks and potential remediation I: Habitat Fragmentation and Degradation - Historical anthropogenic influence - Introduction to risks and remediation, summary of main risks and what are remediation measures - Main characteristics of the Mediterranean habitats - Habitat fragmentation and degradation o Causes & Patterns (Tourism, Costal Development, Sediment Loading) No Session Oct 16, 2017 F A L L B R A K E Session7 Oct 23, 2017 Risks and potential remediation II: Pollution and dumping of human origin products - Biogeological cycles in the Mediterranean - Productivity of Mediterranean sea - Risk a) Elevated Biologically Available Nitrogen o Sources - Risk b) Pesticides/Herbicides/Organic Toxins/Hormones/Pollution o Sources Session8 Oct 30, 2017 MID TERM TEST Risks and potential remediation III: Climate Change SG ENVS227R Fall

9 - The Mediterranean climate - Climate change in the Mediterranean o Why is the climate changing? o How will it affect the Mediterranean? Influence of Climate & Species Distributions Influence on the Sea (Temperature, Sea Level Rise, etc.) - Mitigation and Adaptation Measures Session9 Nov 6, 2017 Risks and potential remediation IV: Shipping, global trade, invasive species - Shipping and Globalization of Commerce and Trade - Introduction of Exotic/Invasive Species o Mechanisms of Dispersal Session10 Nov 13, 2017 Overexploitation of Natural Resources - Identification of main natural resources in the Mediterranean o Energy resources o Water resources o Food resources o Minerals resources - Human exploitation of natural resources Session11 Nov 20, 2016 Fishing Practices and Depletion of Global Fish Stocks - Characteristics of Mediterranean fisheries - Status of stocks and fisheries - Overexploitation: Causes & Patterns o Influence on Individual Species Populations o Influence on Marine Ecosystems. - Aquaculture and Mariculture o Impacts o Influence on Marine Ecosystems - Reduction and Remediation Measures SG ENVS227R Fall

10 Session12 Nov 27, 2017 Sustainable use of the environment and ecosystems - The Role of International Agreements o Sustainable fisheries o Sustainable agriculture o Sustainable farming o Zero emissions o Mitigation techniques for pollution Session13 Dec 4, 2017 Preparatory activities for the final exam: Foresight exercise 1 - Definition of the Mediterranean system and its main subsystems (e.g. the Mediterranean Sea, the coast line, the riparian and coastal populations) - Identification of main drivers and their effects - Identification of case studies Preparatory activities for the final exam: Foresight exercise 2 - Design of microscenarios - Design of macroscenarios - Conclusions and discussion: expected effects under different macroscenarios Final Session Dec 11, 2017 Final Exam 10:00-12:00 am General Comments: The class will be centred around discussions of the topics listed on the syllabus. I will provide the scientific background for each topic, but student discussion and participation should lead to the greatest insight. Therefore, it is imperative that each student come to class prepared by having done the assigned activities for that day. This is an interactive class, students should feel free to ask questions and make comments about the material we are discussing. Academic Honesty: Clear explanations of academic integrity at Loyola University of Chicago are provided at: These policies will be enforced in this course and breaking them will automatically lead SG ENVS227R Fall

11 to zero points for the assessment task in question. I reserve the right to impose more severe penalties, including a grade of F for the entire course. All breaches of the policy will be reported to your Dean s office. For additional academic policies and procedures refer to: Accessibility: Students who have disabilities which they believe entitle them to accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act should register with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSWD) office. To request accommodations, students must schedule an appointment with an SSWD coordinator. Students should contact SSWD at least four weeks before their first semester or term at Loyola. Returning students should schedule an appointment within the first two weeks of the semester or term. The University policy on accommodations and participation in courses is available at: Harassment (Bias Reporting): It is unacceptable and a violation of university policy to harass, discriminate against or abuse any person because of his or her race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Such behavior threatens to destroy the environment of tolerance and mutual respect that must prevail for this university to fulfill its educational and health care mission. For this reason, every incident of harassment, discrimination or abuse undermines the aspirations and attacks the ideals of our community. The university qualifies these incidents as incidents of bias. In order to uphold our mission as a Jesuit Catholic University-- a diverse community seeking God in all things and working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice and faith any incident(s) of bias must be reported and appropriately addressed. Therefore, the Bias Response (BR) Team was created to assist members of the Loyola University Chicago community in bringing incidents of bias to the attention of the university. If you believe you are subject to such bias, you should notify the Bias Response Team at this link: SG ENVS227R Fall