BSc Marine and Coastal Resource Management

Marine and Coastal Resource Management (MCRM) is an interdisciplinary degree programme drawing on marine biology, economics, digital mapping and cartography, geography, geology, GIS, hydrography, information technology (IT), visualisation. law, management studies, marine and maritime spatial planning, marine sciences, remote sensing, sociology, and zoology.

Students learn about the complexities of dynamic marine and coastal environments, and balancing sustainable development of the coast and sea with the needs of industry and the aspirations of coastal communities.

• This programme is fully accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• It is a unique area of study, combining lectures and seminars with hands-on learning through regular field trips and practical classes
• The programme develops skills in demand for a wide range of careers including environmental management, conservation, fisheries, marine spatial planning, surveying, education, training, and research

Courses in first year introduce coastal and marine environments from both the landward and seaward perspective. The relationships between the many types of environments, the organisms they support, along with interactions with man and technology are all examined. Questions surrounding the law of the seas, economics of fishing and aquaculture, advances in information technology and the importance of local cultures and traditions are explored both in the field and in the classroom. Courses in first year are a mix of compulsory, recommended and optional and include: Law and the Marine Environment, Microeconomics, Marine Resources, Understanding Data, Sustainable Development, and Marine and Coastal Studies.

Besides compulsory courses in: Mapping and Monitoring the Environment; Coastal Engineering; Coastal Conservation and Management; Skills and Techniques in Geoscience; and Space, Economy and Society, students can also choose a number of options including: Conservation Biology; Environment and Society; Environmental Systems; Introduction to Investment and Finance; Managing People and Organisations; Microeconomics; and Vertebrate Zoology. The four-day residential fieldtrip to the Fal Estuary in Cornwall, UK, is an important component of the second year curriculum.

The Honours years provide advanced and specialist knowledge in many different aspects of Marine and Coastal Resource Management. Students gain experience in applying their knowledge and skills learned from first and second year to topical issues, consultancy exercises, simulations, and practical projects. Compulsory courses include: Professional Project Planning and Research Methods. A range of optional courses offered include: Applied Geomorphology; Coastal and Estuarine Environments; Economic Development and Regeneration; Environmental Change; Environmental Hydrology; Environmental Modelling; Geographical Information Systems; Applied Marine and Coastal Simulation Studies (OilSim); Geography of Law and Justice; Geographies of Food; Global Land Change; Hydrography; Ice and Climate; Integrated Coastal Management; Land and Marine Designations; Natural Resources; Palaeoecology; Place and Cultural Identity; Planning Methods and Environmental Appraisal; Planning Theory and Ethics; Planning and Environmental Law; Principles of Design; Remote Sensing; River Ecosystems and Management; Rural land Use; Topographic Mapping; Strategic Spatial Planning; Transport Geography; Sustainable Tourism; Valuation and Marine Development; Aquatic Biology, Conservation and Exploitation; Animal Evolution and Biodiversity; Animal Population Ecology; Economics of Natural Resources; Marine and Fisheries Biology; Marine Biology in Depth, Marine Ecology and Ecosystems; Environmental Physiology.

*Note: some option courses run in alternating years.

At the end of third year intending Honours students undertake a dissertation supervised by an academic panel.