Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech

Living, Renewable and Non-Renewable Marine Resources (250579) – Course 2025/26 PDF

Syllabus

Learning Objectives

This subject will emphasize the management and sustainable exploitation of living resources, both renewable and non-renewable, for the needs of society without compromising the ecosystem services of the future. The main marine renewable living resources (fisheries, aquaculture, biotechnology) will be reviewed. Emphasis will be placed on the evaluation of the ecological status of ocean systems in terms of the provision of resources, the management and evaluation of fisheries and aquaculture resources, the technology applied to the management of these resources and the evaluation of the impact of their exploitation .Students will also be introduced to non-living renewable (tides, wind energy) and non-renewable marine resources (oil, gas, minerals). 1.- Provide information on these three types of resources in the marine environment, as well as the most common ways of exploiting them from a commercial point of view. 2.- Know the sustainability of the system, the balance of the living resources with their ecosystem, as well as the usual forms of exploitation and commercialization. 3.- Understand the risks associated with the exploitation of marine georesourcesand the different uses of the marine bed and subsoil. This subject is focused on showing, familiarizing and training students with techniques of observation, monitoring, acquisition and treatment of marine data, as well as modeling techniques, physical and numerical, which allow to characterize practically all of the real problems that will have to address in the professional practice and that will allow the students to finish a generic training cycle but with advanced and transversal knowledge in Sciences and Technologies of the Sea. Also, this subject aims to relate the main challenges of the marine environment (plastics, climate change, etc.) and determine the impact of each of the challenges on the different resources analyzed within the program of the subject. Through a participatory reverse class mechanism, students will be able to analyze each challenge-resource binomial and identify both its impact and the possible opportunities that arise from the interaction.

Competencies

Especific

To know and apply the lexicon and concepts of the Marine Sciences and Technologies and other related fields.

Establish a good practice in the integration of common numerical, laboratory and field techniques in the analysis of any problem related to the marine environment.

Address the most relevant processes and their interactions related to their physical / chemical / biological / geological components, applying technical and scientific knowledge and criteria.

To set, evaluate and propose solutions to the different conflicts of use and exploitation in the marine and coastal environment resources based on scientific and technical criteria.

Carry out environmental impact, management and protection studies of the marine environment and adjacent coastal areas, including the corresponding infrastructures and their related impacts.

Develop a conceptual framework to address the sustainability of the marine environment and the related socio-economic activities at different scales, explaining the effects of climate change.

Carry out calculations, assessments, surveys and inspections in coastal and marine environments, as well as the corresponding technical documents.

Generic

Apply state-of-the-art methods and techniques in oceanography and marine climate, jointly covering the physical, chemical, geological and biological aspects.

Develop a conceptual framework that links the scientific-technological and management aspects for marine resources, explaining the interactions with marine infrastructures and management plans in coastal areas.

Apply knowledge and academic experience to the biotic and abiotic resources of the marine environment, explaining their interactions with the socio-economic activities that take place in it.

Encompass and teach studies in the different research lines that converge in Marine Sciences and Technologies.

Combining preservation with economic activity within the framework of current legislation promoting the development of a social and environmental awareness.

Total hours of student work

Hours Percentage
Supervised Learning Large group 40h 66.70 %
Laboratory classes 20h 33.30 %
Self Study 90h

Teaching Methodology

The course consists of 2-3 hours a week of face-to-face classes in the classroom (whole group) and 1-2 hours a week with half of the students (half group). In the whole group sessions, the teachers explain the basic concepts and materials of the subject, present examples and do exercises. Some of the sessions, in particular those associated with the Marine Challenges, will propose a system of reverse class (flipped classroom), so that greater prominence will be given to students in order to provide content and propose activities related to the subject of work. In the half group sessions, activities are carried out with greater interaction with the students. Practical exercises are carried out in order to consolidate general and specific learning objectives. The rest of the weekly hours are devoted to laboratory practices. Support material is used in the format of a detailed teaching plan through the ATENEA virtual campus: contents, programming of assessment and guided learning activities and bibliography. Note: The language in which the course is taught will depend on the teacher. Specifically, Professor Pablo Bou and Professor Lourdes Reig will teach in Catalan and Professor César Mösso will teach in Spanish. Although most of the sessions will be given in the language indicated, sessions supported by other occasional guest experts may be held in other languages.

Grading Rules

The evaluation calendar and grading rules will be approved before the start of the course.

Ordinary Evaluation (EO): The grade of the continuous evaluation is the weighted arithmetic average of the exercises/problems (Pr) carried out during the course, of the activities directed as assignments or reports (Tr) and of the partial exams (Ex, which will have the same value). There will be two partial exams and they will count for 70% of the grade. Practical activities will count for 15% and directed activities will count for 15%. The final grade will be EO=0.7*(average of Ex1 and Ex2)+0.15*(average of Pr) +0.15*(average of Tr). To pass, the grade of the EO must be greater than or equal to 5. Re-evaluation (RE): Criteria for qualification and admission to reevaluation (Re): Students who have failed the ordinary assessment and who have regularly taken the assessment tests for the suspended subject will have the option to take a re-evaluation test in the period set in the academic calendar. Students who have already passed or students classified as not presented or who have not submitted all of the exercises/problems (Pr) and the assignments and reports (Tr) may not take the reevaluation test of a subject. The reevaluation (RE) will consist of a single exam covering all the content of the course. The maximum mark for the re-evaluation will be five (5.0) and the final mark for the course will be the maximum mark between the continuous evaluation and the re-evaluation exam, i.e. MAX(EO/RE). The non-attendance of a student called to the revaluation test, held in the fixed period, will not be able to give rise to the completion of another test at a later date. Extraordinary evaluations will be carried out for those students who, due to accredited force majeure, have been unable to do any of the continuous evaluation tests. These tests must be authorized by the corresponding head of studies, at the request of the teacher responsible for the subject, and will take place within the corresponding academic period.

Test Rules

If one of the laboratory or continuous evaluation activities is not carried out in the scheduled period, it will be considered a zero score. The tests will be carried out individually, with test-type questions that can be theoretical or problem-type questions. The exams can include short questions to be developed by the students and exercises to be solved.

Office Hours

The hours of attention to the students will be defined according of the schedules of the subject. In any case, it will always be possible to request a personalized attention session by request by e-mail to the person who coordinates the subject.

Bibliography

Basic