Marine Biology is the study of the organisms found in the sea. This course is designed for those considering a career in this area but with to develop further knowledge in order to study at a higher level.

The course will allow you to:

• Understand tectonic plates and continental drift
• Explore the origins of life and the concept of evolution
• Understand the chemical, physical and biological properties of seawater that make it capable of supporting life
• Investigate how marine life has adapted to be able to cope with the different marine environments
• Understand primary production and how it differs in the marine environment from on land
• Gain an understanding of food chains and food webs
• Recognise the damaging impact of humans in the recent past
• Identify ways in which we can protect our oceans for the future

Support is provided for up to 12 months but it is entirely up to you how quickly you work through the course. The estimated study time is 100 hours so if you average around 5 hours a week study you would complete in 5-6 months.

Students can choose to take the online version of the course where you access through a portal or request a paper copy where the course is delivered hard copy in folders. This is yours to keep so you can write on it, make notes etc.

Support is provided throughout the course via a tutor who can be emailed at any time should you come across anything you are unsure of. There is also a support team by telephone.

Marine Biology Level 3 is split into six units. At the end of each unit you will complete an assignment which you will email to your tutor. An assignment is a set of questions based upon the unit you have just studied. Your tutor will mark your work and give you feedback. If there are any areas for improvements or anything that you have misunderstood you will always have the opportunity to re-submit.

The good news is there are no exams! Once you have completed all the assignments you complete the course.

Unit 1: Basic Oceanography

• Evaluating the history of the formation of the planets oceans
• Concepts of plate tectonics and continental drift
• Various chemical and physical properties of seawater
• Role of light in the oceans
• How oceans are zoned

Unit 2: Evolution in the Oceans

• Compare the various theories of evolution and life's origins
• Common methods of self-replication
• Accepted methods of taxonomic classification of organisms
• Compare ways in which marine organisms have adapted to life in the changing oceans

Unit 3: Transfer of Energy and Feeding in the Oceans

• The chemosynthetic and photosynthetic methods of harvesting energy
• The oceans primary producers
• Compare the different groups of phytoplankton
• The flow of energy through food chains and food webs in the marine context
• Different methods of feeding found amongst marine organisms

Unit 4: Tropical and Polar Environments

• Distribution, structure and anatomy of coral reefs
• Zonation of a coral reed and identify their inhabitants
• Compare the two polar environments - The Arctic and Antarctic
• Analyse polar organisms
• Explain why one pole supports comparatively little life

Unit 5: The Open Ocean, The Intertidal and The Deep

• Ways in which organisms move across the pelagic environment
• The species that make the open ocean their home
• The conditions of the intertidal zone
• How inhabitants of shores and beaches are some of the hardiest organisms in the world
• Sea floor and the deep ocean
• Adaptations required to survive on the sea floor and in deep ocean

Unit 6: The Future of the Oceans and Human Impact

• Different fishing techniques and the impact of marine life
• The cause and impact of pollution and climate change
• Concept of an 'invasive' or 'non-native' species and the effects this can have on an ecosystem
• National and international policies and legislation in place to protect our oceans

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and Certa Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the components the learner has completed as part of the course).

The course has been endorsed under the ABC Awards and Certa Awards Quality Licence Scheme. This means that Open Study College has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet defined quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to a regulated qualification* but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills gained. The Learner Unit Summary may be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this subject. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 3 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.

The course itself has been designed by Open Study College to meet specific learners’ and/or employers’ requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. ABC Awards & Certa Awards endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

ABC Awards and Certa Awards have long-established reputations for providing high quality vocational qualifications across a wide range of industries. ABC Awards and Certa Awards combine over 180 years of expertise combined with a responsive, flexible and innovative approach to the needs of our customers.

Renowned for excellent customer service, and quality standards, ABC Awards and Certa Awards also offer regulated qualifications for all ages and abilities post-14; all are developed with the support of relevant stakeholders to ensure that they meet the needs and standards of employers across the UK.