Course overview
The aim of the Marine and Wildlife Conservation course is to equip students with the investigative, analytical, and communication skills required for employment ready practice in conservation biology. Building on fieldwork and laboratory experiences in coastal and restoration environments, the curriculum challenges students to design and conduct independent and collaborative investigations, acquire and integrate ecological and social data, and communicate findings to diverse audiences. The course responds directly to employer feedback that South Australian graduates require greater capacity for independent organisation and critical thinking; accordingly, students are empowered to take ownership of their learning through self-directed inquiry, team-based research coordination, and the application of ecological principles to genuine conservation challenges facing marine and wildlife systems.
- Coastal ecosystems & resilience
- Conservation & Restoration through the social lens
Course learning outcomes
- Design, organise, and plan to conduct independent and collaborative investigations that evaluate conservation problems using ecological principles, including the assessment of coastal ecosystem dynamics and human impacts.
- Acquire data from coastal habitats, laboratory methods and social interactions for the purposes of applying ecological concepts to evaluate biodiversity conservation challenges in marine and wildlife contexts.
- Interpret and assess ecological data, social data, and their integration from coastal field studies or literature to judge the sustainable recovery of marine and wildlife systems.
- Construct clear scientific outputs that communicate conservation findings to diverse audiences and collaborate in team‑based research by coordinating tasks, and where relevant integrate ecological and social evidence, and presenting insights from coastal ecosystems and restoration studies.