Course Syllabus
Synopsis
This course provides an overview of the physiological basis of energetic exchanges between marine animals and their environment. So, it is mainly based in exploring how marine organisms acquire, transform, allocate, and expend energy to sustain life processes, so that animals may growth and reproduce.
Aims
The course aims to provide students a conceptual framework for understanding and interpreting physiological responses within the context of environmental change, ecological interactions, and exposure to pollutants or stressors. Also to train students in using the tools that Physiological energetics provides for applying them in animal production processes and/or in ecotoxicological studies.
Objectives
At the end of the Unit, students should be able to:
- handle information Scope For Growth provides as regards to understanding actual growth and factors that may potentially affect growth rate.
- design simple experiments to measure the scope for growth in marine animals
Key Skills Acquired
At the end of the Unit, you should be able to:
- perform critical analysis of literature data on Scope For Growth.
- prepare and deliver a scientific presentation (write ,analyse and explain it ) based on experimental results obtained in the laboratory.
- use the tools that Physiological Energetics provides to understand the basis of energy exchanges and constrains to attain high rates of growth.
- apply the tools that Physiological Energetics provides to evaluate sublethal effects of pollutants on individual growth and reproductive potential.
Programme
The course is organized into several sections:
- Discussion of general principles of physiological energetics; Introduction to the Principles of energetics, and review of the main factors affecting the energy fluxes between marine animals and the environment: endogenous and exogenous factors
- Presentation and discussion of the methods needed for measuring the physiological parameters of the energy balance, such as: rates of food ingestion and absorption; absorption efficiency; metabolic rate; and the resulting scope for growth.
- Case studies and literature-based discussions: concepts and methods within the framework of production and toxic effects of pollutant agents.
Learning & Teaching
- Lectures: 18 hr
- Seminars: 6 hr
- Practical sessions (laboratory): 12 hr
- Tutorials: 4 hr
Teaching Staff
MB Urrutia (Coord.), I Ibarrola, K. Arranz
Semester: 2
Timetable slot: To be advised
ECTS: 4
Level: Optional
Bibliography
- Bayne B & Newell RC(1983). Physiological energetics of marine molluscs In “The Molluscs” Vol 4 Physiology (pag 407-515). Academic Press
- Butler et al. (2020). Animal Physiology: An Environmental Perspective. Oxford Univesity Press
- Siddiqui S &, S M. Brander (2024). Aquatic Ecotoxicology: Understanding Pollutants, Aquatic Organisms, and their Environments. Springer Cham.
- Widdows, J & Staff, F.J., (2006) Biological effects of contaminants: Measurement of scope for growth in mussels. ICES Techniques in Marine Environmnettal Sciences.
- Willmer P, Johnston I, (2000) Environmental Physiology of Animals. Blackwell Publishing.
Assessment
- Written examination (40-60%)
- Critic review and presentation of a scientific paper (30-40%)
- Written assay on lab experiments (30-40%)