Erasmus 'BIP - Blended Intensive Programme'
WHAT
The Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) on “Marine Environmental Threats (MET)”, aims to deepen on the different causes and consequences of the threats that are jeopardizing the future of our oceans, with focus on marine pollution, bioinvasions and overfishing.
It offers the opportunity to learn about topics that usually are addressed superficially or that are left aside the study programme or specialization track, giving the chance to complement the training of the students.
WHY
MET-BIP addresses issues and formative skills on the UNESCO SDGs related to Life below water (SDG 14) and Climate action (SDG 13) and transversely with Clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) and Gender equality (5). In addition, the contents engage in the concerns and strategy of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
Students attending MET-BIP will have the unique opportunity to experience interdisciplinar, transfrontier formation, while working in international groups and improving their soft-skills.
HOW
The blended format of the programme involves a combination online lectures and face-to-face training activities, including laboratories and fieldwork.
All activities will be attended by a group of international students from the three European Universities that are partners of the project:
Italy: University of Pavia (UNIPV), main host University
Contact person: Prof. Agnese Marchini: agnese.marchini@unipv.it)
Portugal: University of Azores (UAc)
Contact person: Prof. Ana Cristina Costa (ana.cm.costa@uac.pt)
Spain: University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU).
Contact person: Prof. Maren Ortiz-Zarragoitia (maren.ortiz@ehu.eus)
Maximum number of participants: 30.
At least 15 Erasmus mobility grants are reserved to students from UAc and UPV/EHU.
CREDITS
‘Marine Environmenthal Threats’ is worth 6 credits (ECTS), splitted as follows:
UNIPV: 4 ECTS: face-to-face lectures and training: laboratory and fieldwork activities
UPV/EHU: 1 ECTS: online lectures and training
UAc: 1 ECTS: online lectures and training
A final (online) exam
WHERE
Divided in these three main blocks, the programme will take place in person at UNIPV, where training activities will be conducted in the laboratory and in the field, as well as theoretical lectures to support those activities. Both UAc and UPV/EHU and will be virtually involved in the teaching programme, providing online lectures on ecotoxicology and fisheries, respectively.
WHEN
Second semester of the Academic year 2022/23
MET PROGRAM
Pollution in the marine environment: Sources, climate change. biological effects and assessment tools
1. Pollutants and environmental stressors in marine organisms
- Destination, distribution and behaviour of different contaminants. Climate change as an additive factor.
- Ecotoxicology, surveillance and biological implications for marine organisms
- Biomonitoring
- Algae blooms
- Environmental risk assessment and environmental management
- Biomarkers
- Bioassays
2. Marine microorganisms as biological indicators of pollution
- Foraminifera as biological indicators of marine pollution
- Training activity:
- Lab activity: identification of foraminifera from sediment samples
3. Underwater sound pollution
- Impacts and sources of underwater noise, mitigation actions
- Training activity:
- Fieldwork: Recording and measurements of underwater sounds and noise by means of a hydrophone in a port and outside.
- Lab activity on the field recordings: analysis and visual display with spectrograms, visualization of noise measures
Marine bioinvasions
4. Marine bio-pollution: the introduction of invasive species
- Concept and implications of NIS (non-indigenous species)
- Training activities
- Field work: Sampling fouling communities in ports
- Lab activities: Taxonomic identification of the main fouling species in ports, including NIS
Overfishing and fisheries management
5. General concepts on marine fisheries environmental issues and fisheries management
- Overfishing
- Destructive and disruptive fishing practices
- Bycatch and ghost-fishing
- IUU fishing- illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing activities
- Countermeasures: fisheries management and sustainable fisheries