Courses in Ecology in Iceland

The course Pollution in the Coastal Arctic introduces students to the chemistry related to contamination in the coastal zone. Chemical interactions in the interface of the sea, land, and air will be explained along with the transport of pollutants. The state of the coastal zones in the world will be discussed, as well as regional, national, and international monitoring practices and programs. An introduction to designing a monitoring program will be presented. Further, insight into our own lifestyle and the effects we have on the environment will be discussed. A special focus will be placed on the effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals on living organisms, with special emphasis on sea-birds. Emphasis is also placed on environmental chemistry, where students gain insights into chemical analyses and ecotoxicology. -

This Course in Environmental Assessment (EIA and SEA) introduces concepts and methodologies of environmental impact assessment (EIA) and strategic environmental assessment (SEA). As well, it reviews past environmental impact studies ... -

The course explores the patterns and processes of marine ecosystems. The main emphasis of the course is on the population and community ecology of marine ecosystems, relating such ecological knowledge to the broader context of the environmental challenges faced by marine organisms and humans on a global scale. Lectures provide an in-depth understanding of concepts such as i) the diversity of life, distribution and dispersal, principles of population growth, species interactions, primary production, decomposition and nutrient cycling in marine ecosystems, trophic dynamics and food webs, biodiversity, ecosystem stability and function, as well as disturbance and succession of communities; ii) human-induced impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as an introduction to ecosystem conservation. Discussion sessions and writing assignments serve to deepen the understanding of selected theoretical and practical concepts, approaches or applications as well as to train students in reading and writing scientific papers. -