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Marine Biology Diploma Course

Marine biology is a branch of biology dedicated to the study of the marine environment and its life forms. This includes all marine organisms – from the smallest bacteria to the largest animals – and the interactions between them and their environment, the physical and chemical properties of marine ecosystems, the role of the oceans as a global system, among numerous other subjects. Separated into four distinct areas, this online marine biology course introduces you to the fundamentals of marine biology, marine diversity, marine ecology, and the human impact on the marine environment.

Course overview:

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12 Modules

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What Will You Learn?

The Marine Biology Course begins with an introduction to the subject, its subfields, interrelationship with other disciplines and the main roles and responsibilities of a marine biologist. You’ll discover theories that aim to explain the formation of the Earth’s oceans and the development of the earliest life forms and explore the physical and chemical properties that enable the marine environment to support life.

We’ll observe marine diversity, beginning with organisms that are invisible to the naked eye, yet are essential to the oceans and contribute to the planet’s oxygen production. You’ll learn about marine invertebrates - how they are classified and how they’ve evolved to survive in the ocean - and marine vertebrates, including birds, fishes, reptiles, and marine mammals, and how they have adapted to ocean life.

You’ll learn about marine ecology - exploring the different ecosystems and habitats that exist within the marine environment, the populations and communities and the interactions that take place between them and their environment, and the food chain of marine organisms and its impact on the structure and productivity of the global system.

Finally, the course looks at the impact humanity has had on the marine environment. We’ll look at human activities such as overfishing, the introduction of invasive species, and different types of pollution. The course explains how the climate crisis impacts the ocean and the adaptation and survival of marine life, and what is being done to protect, recover, and conserve marine ecosystems and ensure the sustainable use of its resources.

By studying this course, you will:

Learn the fundamentals of marine biology
Get to know the living organisms of the oceans
Become familiar with marine ecosystems and habitats
Understand the impact humans have had on the marine environment

If you look to the sea and wonder about the world that exists there – seemingly separate but completely entwined with our own – and the lifeforms that call it home, then this course is for you.

If you are interested in conservation and sustainability, this Marine Biology Course will guide you in the effects that humanity is having on the oceans and what can be done to protect, preserve, and restore marine ecosystems and organisms.

If you intend on following a career in this subject, this course will provide you with an interesting and enjoyable foundation of knowledge from which to build upon with advanced study and qualifications, along with informing you of the various specialisms within marine biology.

Introduction
Part 1: Marine Biology and its Subfields
Part 2: What Does a Marine Biologist Do?
Part 3: Marine Biology and Other Disciplines
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 1 Assessment

Part 1: Physical and Chemical Conditions of the Primitive Atmosphere
Part 2: The Formation of the Oceans
Part 3: The Origin of Life on Earth
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 2 Assessment

Part 1: Physical and Chemical Properties of the Marine Environment
Part 2: Classification of the Marine Environment
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 3 Assessment

Part 1: Classification of Marine Microorganisms
Part 2: Bacteria
Part 3: Archaea
Part 4: Protozoa
Part 5: Microalgae
Part 6: Microscopic Fungi
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 4 Assessment

Part 1: Cnidaria
Part 2: Porifera (Sponges)
Part 3: Mollusca
Part 4: Echinodermata
Part 5: Arthropods
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 5 Assessment

Part 1: Marine Fishes
Part 2: Marine Birds
Part 3: Marine Reptiles
Part 4: Marine Mammals
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 6 Assessment

Part 1: What is a Marine Ecosystem?
Part 2: Coral Reefs
Part 3: Estuaries
Part 4: Mangroves
Part 5: Deep Sea
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 7 Assessment

Part 1: Definition of Population and Community
Part 2: Symbiotic Interactions
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 8 Assessment

Part 1: Marine Food Chain
Part 2: Energy Flow in Marine Ecosystems
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 9 Assessment

Part 1: Human Activities and Marine Life
Part 2: Marine Pollution
Part 3: Invasive Species
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 10 Assessment

Part 1: What is Climate Change?
Part 2: Ocean Acidification
Part 3: Ocean Warming
Part 4: Sea Level Rise
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 11 Assessment

Part 1: What is Marine Conservation?
Part 2: Approaches to Marine Conservation
Test Your Knowledge
Key Learning Points Exercise
Module 12 Assessment

The Marine Biology Diploma Course will take you up to 150 hours to complete, working from home. There is no time limit for completing this course, it can be studied in your own time at your own pace.

This is a Level 3 course and will give you 150 CPD (Continued Professional Development) points.

Upon completion of your course assessments, you receive 2 certificates. A certificate from the Centre of Excellence and a CPD certificate displaying the number of CPD points earned from the course.

This course is endorsed by the Quality Licence Scheme. Therefore, upon successful completion of this course, learners can also receive a certificate of achievement from Quality Licence Scheme and a Learner Unit Summary, which lists the details of all the units the learner has completed as part of the course. (This certificate is optional and costs an additional £25).

The Quality Licence Scheme is part of the Skills and Education Group, a charitable organisation that unites education and skills-orientated organisations that share similar values and objectives. With more than 100 years of collective experience, the Skills and Education Group’s strategic partnerships create opportunities to inform, influence and represent the wider education and skills sector.

The Skills and Education Group also includes two nationally recognised awarding organisations; Skills and Education Group Awards and Skills and Education Group Access. Through their awarding organisations they have developed a reputation for providing high-quality qualifications and assessments for the education and skills sector. They are committed to helping employers, organisations and learners cultivate the relevant skills for learning, skills for employment, and skills for life.

Their knowledge and experience of working within the awarding sector enables them to work with training providers, through the Quality Licence Scheme, to help them develop high-quality courses and/or training programmes for the non-regulated market.

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FAQs

There is no time limit for completing your course it can be studied in your own time at your own pace.

All of our courses vary in length but most of our courses will take you between 50 - 250 hours to complete. The length of this course can be found in the Accreditations section above.

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