Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course
This course takes you into the workings of coastal and ocean ecosystems, from estuaries, salt marshes and intertidal shores to reefs, seagrass meadows, kelp forests and the deep sea. You will learn how energy and matter flow through marine food webs, how currents, tides, waves and upwelling shape life, and how climate change, pollution, fishing and invasive species affect these environments, together with the main tools for their conservation and sustainable management.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course?
This short course offers an integrated view of how marine ecosystems are structured and how they function. You will study key ecological concepts such as niche, resilience and thresholds, food webs and biogeochemical cycles, larval dispersal and connectivity, the physical processes that shape marine life, the highly productive coastal systems of estuaries, marshes, lagoons and intertidal zones, structural habitats such as reefs, seagrass meadows, macroalgal forests and soft and deep-sea bottoms, and the human pressures and conservation tools that determine their future.
What sets this course apart: a multidisciplinary approach that links biology, ecology and physical oceanography; a module dedicated to the currents, tides, waves, stratification and upwelling that drive productivity; attention to coastal ecosystems as nurseries and natural coastal protection; coverage from the shoreline to the deep sea; and a closing module on climate change, cumulative pressures and conservation tools such as marine protected areas, restoration and monitoring indicators.
Program highlights
- Ecosystem functioning: food webs, energy transfer and biogeochemical cycles.
- Physical oceanography for ecologists: currents, tides, waves and upwelling.
- Productive coasts: estuaries, salt marshes, lagoons and intertidal zones.
- Structural habitats: reefs, seagrass meadows, kelp forests and the deep sea.
- Global change: warming, acidification, deoxygenation and species redistribution.
- Conservation tools: protected areas, restoration, monitoring and indicators.
Syllabus of the Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Structure and functioning of marine ecosystems: energy, matter and trophic organization
- 1.1. Key concepts of marine ecology: habitat, niche, resilience, stability and ecological thresholds
- 1.2. Marine food webs: productivity, energy transfer, efficiency and top-down and bottom-up control
- 1.3. Biogeochemical cycles in the ocean: carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and the biological pump
- 1.4. Ecological connectivity: larval dispersal, metapopulations, corridors and source-sink dynamics
- 1.5. Spatial and temporal scales: daily, seasonal and interannual variability and its effects on communities
Physical and oceanographic processes that shape life: currents, tides, waves and stratification
- 2.1. Properties of seawater: density, salinity, temperature and stratification of the water column
- 2.2. Ocean circulation: gyres, coastal currents, fronts and the transport of mass and nutrients
- 2.3. Tides and coastal dynamics: tidal range, tidal currents, mixing and ecological effects in the intertidal zone
- 2.4. Waves and energy on the coast: surf zone, longshore drift, resuspension and morphodynamics
- 2.5. Upwelling and downwelling: mechanisms, productivity, blooms and regional trophic consequences
High-productivity coastal ecosystems: estuaries, salt marshes, lagoons and intertidal zones
- 3.1. Estuarine gradients: salinity, turbidity, oxygen and community zonation
- 3.2. Salt marshes and coastal wetlands: filtration, carbon sequestration and coastal protection
- 3.3. Coastal lagoons: exchange with the open sea, eutrophication, hypoxia and adaptive management
- 3.4. Rocky and sandy intertidal shores: zonation, environmental stress and tolerance strategies
- 3.5. Coastal systems as nurseries: recruitment, shelter, food availability and links with fisheries
Structural and habitat-forming ecosystems: reefs, seagrass meadows, rocky and benthic bottoms
- 4.1. Reefs and hard-substrate communities: complexity, shelter, competition for space and disturbance
- 4.2. Seagrass meadows: ecosystem services, health indicators and basic restoration
- 4.3. Macroalgal forests: seasonal dynamics, herbivory, phase shifts and resilience
- 4.4. Soft bottoms: infauna, bioturbation, sediment stability and redox processes
- 4.5. Deep-sea benthos: energy limitation, marine snow, diversity and functional adaptations
Human impacts, climate change and conservation of coastal and ocean ecosystems
- 5.1. Ocean climate change: warming, acidification, deoxygenation and species redistribution
- 5.2. Pollution and cumulative pressures: plastics, chemicals, eutrophication and underwater noise
- 5.3. Fishing and exploitation: overfishing, bycatch, habitat alteration and ecosystem-based management
- 5.4. Invasive species and diseases: vectors, early detection and management response
- 5.5. Conservation tools: marine protected areas, restoration, monitoring and indicators
Duration and format of the Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course
Career opportunities after the Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course
Questions about the Coastal and Ocean Ecosystems Course
It is an ecosystem where the sea meets the land and, often, fresh water, such as estuaries, salt marshes, mangroves, lagoons and intertidal shores. The course studies them alongside open-ocean and deep-sea systems.
No. The course explains the physical processes needed to understand marine ecology, such as currents, tides, waves and upwelling.
Yes. The deep-sea benthos, marine snow and the adaptations of deep-water organisms are part of the habitats module.
Yes. The last module covers warming, acidification, deoxygenation and species redistribution, together with other human pressures.
Yes. It explains the role of coastal nurseries, ecosystem-based fisheries management and the cumulative pressures on marine habitats.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded, discussion forums and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each, with practical activities to consolidate each module. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
More programs in Biology and conservation
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at students and recent graduates in marine biology, oceanography and environmental sciences seeking a solid basis in marine ecology, fisheries and aquaculture professionals who want to understand the impact of their activities, environmental consultants and public administration technicians working on coastal and ocean management, educators and science communicators, and anyone with an interest in marine life and conservation; studies in marine sciences, biology, environmental engineering or a related field, or experience in coastal and ocean management or research, are recommended.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.