Unit Outline

In this unit, you will be introduced to the biology and biological processes of aquatic animals and plants commonly encountered in aquaculture operations. You will be introduced to phylogenetic relationships and investigate the anatomy, physiology, and life history of eukaryotes, protozoa, finfish, shellfish, crustaceans, micro-organisms, algae, jellies, hydrozoans, bryozoans, seabirds, marine mammals and relevant pest species. You will develop practical skills in sample collection, animal and plant identification, microscopy, dissection techniques, scientific drawing and science communications. This unit also incorporates learning through practice by exposing you to authentic learning experiences. These experiences are placed at the centre of learning and assessment, for you to develop the skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to respond to industry, community and/or global needs. You will be introduced to: - a range of methods, tools, techniques and approaches to practice - principles and perspectives such as values, ethics, empathy and leadership in real world scenarios - reflection and deliberative thinking as a means of developing knowledge, skills, attitudes and aspirations - ways of understanding problems and developing solutions through active inquiry

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Identify species and explain the biology and life history of organisms encountered in aquaculture practices
2	Apply biological techniques in a laboratory setting and perform individual and collaborative tasks
3	Present scientific information in the field of aquatic biology

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Anti-requisite (mutual excl)	ZAS109

Alterations as a result of student feedback

To be determined.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	AT1: Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)	Week 5	20 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	AT2: Data Collection, Interpretation and Scientific Report	Week 8	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	AT3: Portfolio: scientific drawings and issues report	Week 12	45 %	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: AT1: Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Task Description:

During the unit you will perform or observe a number of laboratory procedures used by your industry. You will select one laboratory process, and from your detailed notes and observations, you will create a standard operating procedure (SOP), with reference to the guidance material on SOPs supplied by your tutor.
The SOP
Your SOP should be detailed and provide clear step-by-step instructions, including:
• Critical points of the process
• An unambiguous and explicit description of how to perform each step in the process
• Identification and control of the associated risks

Task Length:

800 words; 12pt font, 1 x line spacing; normal margins

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and describe key procedural steps to support process execution	LO2, LO3
2	Evaluate scientific and technical procedures to develop and arrange actionable information	LO2, LO3
3	Communicate using appropriate SOP format and referencing protocols	LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: AT2: Data Collection, Interpretation and Scientific Report

Task Description:

During the workshop, you will make observations and collect data using scientific techniques. Your tutor will provide reference materials, background information and instructions on the task including experimental methods, procedures, and data collection methods.
Report
You will use the data generated from this task to create a scientific report which will be structured as follows:
• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• References
You are to submit your work as a scientific report in Microsoft Word format.

Task Length:

1000 words (excluding references, tables and captions)

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Perform laboratory tasks and record observations	LO2, LO3
2	Analyse and interpret data to support findings and conclusions	LO1, LO3
3	Communicate using scientific language, data presentation techniques and referencing protocols	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 3: AT3: Portfolio: scientific drawings and issues report

Task Description:

During the unit, you will observe a range of animals and plants, their biological and physiological features and study their reproduction and life-cycle traits. From these observations, you will create scientific drawings following conventions outlined in materials provided by your tutor.
Part A – Scientific drawings (Portfolio)
Compile high resolution scans/photographs of ALL scientific drawings. Scientific drawings of all organisms must adhere to scientific drawing conventions and:
• Represent the organism form and feature
• Include clearly labelled anatomy
• Include a figure caption with species name and scale measurement
Part B - Investigation into life-cycle knowledge (written report)
Select one of your scientifically drawn species and illustrate a diagram of the reproductive life-cycle. Think about how life-cycle knowledge contributes to the aquaculture industry. Write a 700-word report that describes your findings including:
• Full species profile
• A description highlighting the significance of this species to the aquaculture industry
• Explain how knowledge of the life-cycle of your chosen species has benefited or could benefit the aquaculture industry
Include and make reference to your scientific drawings and drawing of the reproductive life-cycle in the report.

Task Length:

Part A: Portfolio – Scientific drawings Part B: Report – 700 word written report

Due Date:

Week 12

Weight:

45 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Create drawings of biological observations	LO2, LO3
2	Describe a species biological profile and life-cycle	LO1, LO3
3	Investigate and analyse the relevance of species life-cycle knowledge to the aquaculture industry	LO1, LO3
4	Communicate using appropriate scientific terminology and referencing protocols	LO1, LO2, LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.