School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Marine and Freshwater Processes
  • Unit Code

    SCM2110
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    3
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    A/Prof Mark Andrew LUND

Description

This unit examines the natural processes occurring in marine, coastal and inland aquatic environments and the significance of these processes for managing these systems. In particular, the unit explores both the effects of these processes on aquatic ecosystems and how they may enhance or reduce the impact of human activities in aquatic systems.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass 1 unit from SCC1111 or SCC1123

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded SCM2202

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Undertake a literature-based investigation of a specific area of aquatic science
  2. Construct a simple stochastic model of an aquatic environment.
  3. Write a scientific report based on a large complex data set.
  4. Translate technical skills of fieldwork into the working environment

Unit Content

  1. Aquatic light environment: factors influencing light penetration. Distribution of heat: stratification (thermal and salinity) and mixing processes.
  2. Chemical controls of aquatic environments: nutrient cycles (N, C, P), cycles of sulphate, iron and silica. Brief introduction to the impacts of human activities on these cycles.
  3. Hydrological cycle, providing a brief overview of the types of aquatic environments found from source to sea.
  4. Physical and chemical properties of water: molecular structure, specific heat, density, viscosity, surface tension, diffusion, pH, conductivity, ionic composition, redox, and dissolved oxygen content.
  5. Physical controls of aquatic ecosystems: hydrodynamics (waves, tides, currents, flow), erosional and depositional processes, sediment types.
  6. Production: primary and secondary, microbial loop, trophic status.
  7. Techniques for water quality and biological monitoring in a range of aquatic environments, including sampling, analytical problems, and limitations.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 3 hour labNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 113 x 2 hour lectureNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

WIL - Field Experience

Students will undertake, and be assessed on, authentic activities through engagement with industry and community partners.

Students experience an environment where they observe and/or participate in the application of theoretical knowledge and skills in a professional setting, under the supervision of an expert or professional in the field. Examples include study tours, observation, shadowing, fieldwork, industry tours.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Weekly lectures discuss physical and chemical aspects of marine and freshwater ecosystems, with a particular focus on the processes associated with eutrophication. This is supported through laboratory sessions which focus on the development of job ready practical skills in sample collection and processing. A field trip allows students to test their sample collection skills and to learn to manipulate large aquatic data sets for a major assignment. Online tests support an introduction to modelling and practice for the final exam. LMS is used to support learning through online lectures, support materials for assignments.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
EssayInvestigation of a topic of interest15%
ExerciseSpreadsheet based modelling5%
ReportScientific report based on fieldtrip25%
ExercisePreparation for work in aquatic science5%
TestReview tests50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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