In conformity with the ministerial decree on general Master's degree objectives for class LM-6, the Master's degree in Marine Biology aims to:
provide a solid grounding in basic and applied marine biology with a deeper study of the habitats and organisms of marine ecosystems, as well as in-depth knowledge of the investigative methods, analytical tools and sampling procedures used in sea research. Graduates will also have specialist skills in experimental research methods, in the lab and on the sea, as applied to marine species and populations, the complex interactions between biotic and a-biotic components of the marine system, and marine ecosystems as a whole. The degree programme includes specialist learning sub-programmes on the exploitation of fishery resources, managing and protecting marine populations and habitats. Extensive laboratory work is scheduled, and there will be advanced monographic teaching modules.
The second year has less weight of tuition than the first, so as to free the student for research in Italy or abroad in preparation for the experimental dissertation.
The Master's degree programme in Marine Biology works to a dynamic, modern teaching curriculum designed to achieve a highly specialist learning outcome in the field of studying, preserving, managing and safeguarding marine organisms. Much of the tuition in this Master's programme is based on active learning methods in which teachers and students together develop a dynamic educational process. This makes greater demands both on the teacher, who has to devise an interactive teaching approach, and on the student for whom learning involves a work-up of the teaching material. The student is no passive recipient imbibing notions from the teachers, but is expected to contribute actively to the learning programme.
Hence Master's graduates in Marine Biology will possess:
- a high-level scientific background in basic biology and the various areas of marine biology, from the molecular and cellular dimension to the study of organisms and populations, and covering the processes of ecosystems with a focus on evolution, adaptation to the environment, and the functioning of complex marine systems;
- a high-level scientific background in marine biology as applied to conservation, protection and management of marine resources, including legal and economic policy aspects and the production and marketing sides; in-depth knowledge of research methods, tools of analysis and techniques for acquiring, analysing and representing data, including familiarity with supporting ICT and GIS programs;
- mastery of scientific investigation methods, producing an ability to work independently and take responsibility for projects and facilities;
- knowledge and correct use of specialist Italian and English vocabulary.
As of A.Y. 2014-2015, under the present reorganization of the university system the Master's Degree in Marine Biology offers students a learning curriculum whereby they will gain advanced expertise in the structure and function of marine ecosystems and the tools for monitoring and managing them, together with specialist know-how on marine habitats and biotic and fishery resources. This entails choosing two specific supplementary and related activity programmes.
The advanced common/specialist expertise consonant with the prescribed learning objectives and outcomes may thus be grouped into the following curriculum:
Marine Biology Learning Area – Marine ecosystems are decidedly complex in structure due to stratification of, and interaction among, a large range of components – environmental, ecological and biological – which may vary in space and time. The master's graduate programme in Marine Biology hence adopts a holistic approach, providing technical and scientific expertise in the basic degree class subjects as well as sea and marine-environment biology. Students will learn statistics serving to plan experiments and monitor ecosystems (and components thereof) in the field and in the laboratory; they will receive scientific training in the structure, components and processes of marine ecosystems at varying degrees of complexity, and tuition in the laws governing management and conservation of ecosystems and their components. Students will also gain innovative know-how on current major issues in marine biology, learning how to identify and define short-term issues like natural and man-made catastrophes, or slumps in the fishery production.
Marine Habitat Learning Area – In the field of conservation and eco-friendly use of resources, great topical importance attaches nowadays to managing and designing marine parks, protected marine areas, biological protection areas, wildlife and environmental oases, not to mention stretches of coastline reserved for tourism, urban development and industrial production. In this connection it is important for the master's graduate in Marine Biology to have advanced specialist knowledge of marine habitats with special reference to their structure, processes and alterations, backed by familiarity with the tools/methods of inquiry, monitoring and conservation, together with Italian and EU norms and economic policy on habitat planning, management and conservation. Graduates must also be able to employ appropriate tools and methods for investigating how habitats are organized and function, and how to set about an environmental impact assessment in conjunction with conservation and management plans based on national, EU and international legislation and economic policy.
Biotic and Fishery Resources Learning Area – The Master's degree in Marine Biology gives students the specialist know-how whereby to satisfy the growing demand for eco-compatibility and sustainability in harvesting marine resources and upgrading the national and EU fishery production area, in keeping with the Common Fishery Policy guidelines. There is a call for a professional profile possessing broad expertise on biological and ecological diversity of species and the biotic and fishery resources that chiefly interest primary production, as well as on the tools of assessment and management/planning. The specific role for the master's graduate here is to have advanced specialist knowledge of marine ecosystems with reference to species diversity, biology cycles, life-history and ecological traits of the main fishery resources, as well as the tools of inquiry and methods of monitoring how plentiful these are and how they are distributed. The graduate must also be familiar with the technology governing fishing and use of marine fishery resources in relation to the relevant national and EU laws and economic policies; he/she will learn how to use the tools for monitoring fish resources, planning and applying strategies for eco-compatible management and preservation of protected marine fauna and flora.