Marine Biology Level 3

Unit 1: Basic Oceanography

• Evaluating the history of the formation of the planet’s oceans
• Concepts of plate tectonics and continental drift
• Various chemical and physical properties of seawater
• Role of light in the oceans
• How oceans are zoned

Unit 2: Evolution in the Oceans

• Compare the various theories of evolution and life’s origins
• Common methods of self-replication
• Accepted methods of taxonomic classification of organisms
• Compare ways in which marine organisms have adapted to life in the changing oceans

Unit 3: Transfer of Energy and Feeding in the Oceans

• The chemosynthetic and photosynthetic methods of harvesting energy
• The oceans primary producers
• Compare the different groups of phytoplankton
• The flow of energy through food chains and food webs in the marine context
• Different methods of feeding found amongst marine organisms

Unit 4: Tropical and Polar Environments

• Distribution, structure and anatomy of coral reefs
• Zonation of a coral reef and identify their inhabitants
• Compare the two polar environments – The Arctic and Antarctic
• Analyse polar organisms
• Explain why one pole supports comparatively little life

Unit 5: The Open Ocean, the Intertidal, and the Deep

• Ways in which organisms move across the pelagic environment
• The species that make the open ocean their home
• The conditions of the intertidal zone
• How inhabitants of shores and beaches are some of the hardiest organisms in the world
• Sea floor and the deep ocean
• Adaptations required to survive in on the sea floor and deep ocean

Unit 6: The Future of the Oceans and Human Impact

• Different fishing techniques and the impact on marine life
• The cause and impact of pollution and climate change
• Concept of an ‘invasive’ or ‘non-native’ species and the effects this can have on an ecosystem
• National and international policies and legislation in place to protect our oceans