Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection Course
This course takes you into marine ecosystems and the strategies used to protect the species that live in them. You will learn about marine biodiversity and the threats it faces, from pollution and overfishing to climate change and invasive species, the legal and management tools that protect species and habitats, and the monitoring methods that show whether protection works, closing with a protection plan for a species, ecosystem or area of high ecological value.
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 Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection Course?
This short course connects marine ecology with the practical tools of species and habitat protection. You will study the fundamentals of marine biodiversity, the main coastal and ocean ecosystems, food webs, keystone species and resilience, the ecosystem services of marine life, the pressures of pollution, overfishing, bycatch, habitat destruction, climate change and invasive species, the legal principles and regulatory instruments of marine protection, marine protected areas, governance and management plans, and the design of ecological monitoring programs for fauna, flora and benthic habitats.
What sets this course apart: a focus on protection in practice, linking each threat to the regulatory and management tools that address it; detailed coverage of how fauna and flora are observed, sampled and assessed, from visual censuses and transects to photo-quadrats and conservation indicators; attention to governance and to the role of authorities, scientists and local communities; and a final project in which you diagnose a species, ecosystem or area and design its protection and monitoring plan.
Program highlights
- Marine biodiversity, key ecosystems, food webs, keystone species and resilience.
- Threats: pollution, overfishing and bycatch, habitat loss, climate change and invaders.
- Protection tools: closed seasons, protected species lists, zoning and protected areas.
- Governance, management plans, surveillance and enforcement.
- Monitoring fauna, flora and benthic habitats with clear conservation indicators.
- Final project: a protection and monitoring plan for a high-value species or area.
Syllabus of the Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of marine conservation, ocean biodiversity and the ecological framework for protecting sensitive species and habitats
- 1.1. Fundamental concepts of marine biodiversity: levels of biological organization, species richness and ecosystem functions in coastal and ocean environments
- 1.2. The main marine and coastal ecosystems: reefs, mangroves, seagrass meadows, soft bottoms, rocky areas, estuaries and pelagic systems
- 1.3. The relationship between fauna, flora and ecological balance: food webs, keystone species, ecological connectivity and resilience of marine ecosystems
- 1.4. Natural and human factors that shape biological vulnerability: temperature, acidification, pollution, noise, fishing pressure and habitat loss
- 1.5. Ecosystem services of marine fauna and flora: coastal protection, carbon capture, biological production, cultural value and support for coastal economies
Threats to marine fauna and flora: human pressures, habitat degradation and emerging risks to biodiversity
- 2.1. Marine pollution and its effects on organisms and ecosystems: hydrocarbons, plastics, metals, effluents, nutrients and emerging contaminants
- 2.2. Overfishing, bycatch and the disruption of food webs: impacts on populations, reproduction and ecological stability
- 2.3. Destruction and fragmentation of marine habitats: dredging, coastal development, marine works, careless anchoring and resource extraction
- 2.4. Climate change and its effects on marine biodiversity: warming, acidification, deoxygenation, species shifts and bleaching
- 2.5. Invasive species and bioinvasions: introduction vectors, establishment, ecological competition and containment strategies
Regulatory framework, governance and management tools for the protection of species, marine areas and biological resources
- 3.1. Legal principles of marine environmental protection: conservation, prevention, restoration and environmental liability in maritime areas
- 3.2. Regulatory instruments for protecting marine fauna and flora: closed seasons, protected species lists, use restrictions and environmental zoning
- 3.3. Marine protected areas and other conservation designations: objectives, categories, functional design and criteria for ecological effectiveness
- 3.4. Marine governance and institutional coordination: environmental authorities, maritime administrations, scientific bodies and local stakeholders
- 3.5. Management, monitoring and compliance plans: indicators, surveillance, control of pressures and evaluation of conservation outcomes
Monitoring techniques, biological assessment and environmental diagnosis for the conservation of marine fauna and flora
- 4.1. Designing marine ecological monitoring programs: objectives, variables, spatial scales and sampling frequencies
- 4.2. Methods for observing and sampling marine fauna: visual censuses, transects, fixed stations, underwater video and behavioral recording
- 4.3. Methods for assessing marine flora and benthic habitats: quadrats, photo-transects, biomass, cover and analysis of vegetation structure
- 4.4. Integrating environmental and biological variables: water quality, sediments, temperature, salinity and their relationship with ecological status
- 4.5. Conservation and ecosystem status indicators: abundance, diversity, recruitment, mortality, cover and presence of sensitive species
Integrated marine fauna and flora protection project applied to an ecosystem, species or area of high ecological value
- 5.1. Selecting the case study: a priority ecosystem, species or marine area according to ecological sensitivity, human pressure and conservation value
- 5.2. Comprehensive diagnosis of biological and environmental status: ecological characterization, threats, stakeholders and current level of risk
- 5.3. Designing the protection and monitoring plan: objectives, conservation measures, indicators, schedule and follow-up mechanisms
- 5.4. Proposing restoration, education and control measures: operational actions, governance, compliance and community participation
- 5.5. Assessing the technical and environmental feasibility of the intervention: resources required, limitations, risks and success criteria
Duration and format of the Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection 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 Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection Course
Career opportunities after the Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection Course
Questions about the Marine Wildlife and Plant Life Protection Course
Because marine life is essential to the balance of ocean ecosystems and of the planet as a whole: it provides food, produces oxygen, helps regulate the climate and protects coastlines.
To conserve marine biodiversity and the ecosystems it depends on, keeping populations and habitats healthy enough to sustain their ecological functions and the human activities linked to them.
Identification is not the focus here. This course concentrates on threats, legal and management tools, protected areas and the monitoring methods used to check whether protection is working.
Yes. The fourth module explains how monitoring programs are designed and how fauna, flora and benthic habitats are surveyed, using visual censuses, transects, underwater video, quadrats and photo-transects.
You choose a species, ecosystem or marine area of high value, diagnose its status and threats, and design a protection and monitoring plan with measures, indicators, governance and a feasibility assessment.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. 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 marine biologists, ecologists and environmental science students who want to go deeper into marine conservation, fisheries and aquaculture professionals interested in sustainable practices and environmental compliance, policy makers and environmental managers, educators and science communicators, and volunteers and environmental activists; a background in marine biology, environmental science or oceanography, or experience in marine conservation or natural resource management, is helpful, together with basic knowledge of marine ecology and species identification.
- 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 spreadsheet software for working with monitoring data and indicators.
- 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.