Course Web Site: http://seagrantadm.gso.uri.edu/bcp/AFS426spring09.htm
Course Instructor: Dr. Barry A.
Costa-Pierce, Professor of Fisheries & Aquaculture, FAVS, and Director of
the Rhode Island Sea Grant College Program at URI. Office: 129 Coastal
Institute Building on the URI
Description: This
course introduces the multidisciplinary study of the world’s aquaculture
ecosystems to URI students. We will study the principles of ecology (natural and
social ecology) as they relate to the ecological designs, structures, functions
and social ecologies of integrated aquaculture farming ecosystems of the world’s
major aquaculture farming ecosystems (shrimp, tuna, tilapia, shellfish,
salmon)—documenting their history (and “her-story”), status, and future as
integrated farming ecosystems. This course meets just once a week for too long
of a time period; so, we break our time together into a lecture section; a needed break; then gather into
intensive group studies (that linger both in and out of class) as we develop
collaborative team projects.
Course Text: NONE,
so the cost to you is reduced, but I expect you to do all the readings that we’ll provide either as hard copies, or
that will be posted on the course web site. You’ll want to get a binder and put
this stuff all in one place, since there are many required readings assigned at each class meeting.
Expectations & Outcomes: Attendance at all classes is required.
Students are expected to complete all
assigned readings; to work together with classmates in team/group
sessions; to make two oral presentations to the class on published articles;
and to submit sections of the final individual, written final term paper on
time. There is NO final exam. The instructor will provide educational
materials and engage students via lectures, articles, and on the Internet. This
class schedule is subject to change as important, uncontrollable, insanity
happens; or massive, multiple desires for reality (field trips and other)
exists; or the need to “retool” comes up, e.g. the need for more discussion and
other interests require.
The Academic
Enhancement Center The
Academic Enhancement Center (AEC) in Roosevelt Hall is a comfortable
environment in which to get together for the class projects in this course. For
a complete schedule of the AEC go to www.uri.edu/aec
or call (401) 874-2367, or stop by the fourth floor in Roosevelt Hall.
The
Overall Evaluation is Based On:
Attendance 10% Required
Oral
Presentations (2 x 10% each) 20%
Final Project
Term Paper 70%
NO FINAL EXAM
Oral
Presentations:
Schedule of Oral
Presentations
You are required to
choose two (2) published papers closely related to the topic of your Team Topic
and to present these orally to the class. The titles of these papers and the
dates of your presentations are due by the date of the second class period,
Feb. 3, 2009. If you do not have these available by then, I will choose two
papers for you. The oral presentations will be 15-20 minutes long, and you will
give the title, an introduction and rationale for the work accomplished;
discuss the materials and methods of the studies; results; discuss the
implications of the work; and make evaluations and recommendations for future
work. Your grade for these presentations will be determined by:
Completeness of
the Presentation 75%
Organization and
Delivery of the Presentation 25%
Class Schedule (Meetings are Tuesdays from 4:00
to 6:45PM in Woodward 318; our first meeting is 27 January 2009 – don’t miss the first class!)
CLASS 1. January 27. Course
description, selection of term paper class projects and discussion of term
paper topics, group processes, submission and class interactions with the world
and others at URI via interviews and the Internet
Lecture Topic is:
Introduction to Ecological Aquaculture: Aquaculture History, Archeology and Sociology
Resources: (1) Lecture
1 Powerpoint; (2) Ecological Aquaculture Principles and
Practices
CLASS 2. February 3. Integrated
Fisheries Ecosystems (Capture, Culture & Enhanced). Tuna Aquaculture
Ecosystems
Term
Paper Title and Outline Due by e-mail by Class Time bcp@gso.uri.edu
Resources: (1)
Lecture
2 Powerpoint; (2) Tuna Report at http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/ecostam_pubs/1/
CLASS 3. Feb. 10. GUEST
LECTURE 4:00-5:30 PM: Dr. Charles Yarish (UConn and Visiting Sea Grant Scholar at
URI): Seaweed Aquaculture Ecosystems (Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture
Ecosystems) (Instructor is away at the Sea Grant Association Meetings in
Washington)
Topics of Two Oral Presentations Due by e-mail by
Class Time bcp@gso.uri.edu
Resources: (1) (4) Lecture 3 Powerpoint
(2) Dr. Yarish CV (3) Neori et al. 2004
(4) Neori et al.
2007 (5) Social aspects of IMTA
CLASS 4. Feb. 17. FAO Ecosystems
Approach to Aquaculture.
Schedule of Oral
Presentations
Resources: (1) Lecture 4 Powerpoint (2)
FAO Ecosystems Approach to
Aquaculture Report
CLASS 5. Feb. 24. Risk Assessment
Methodology for Aquaculture
Oral presentations Schedule
Introduction and Social
Aspects due
Resources:
(1) GESAMP Risk
Assessment and Communications (2) BCP Cod Risk
Assessment Example
CLASS 6. March 3. Research & Extension Methodologies for
Aquaculture Ecosystems
Oral presentations Schedule
Resources: (1) Lecture 6 Powerpoint
(2) Costa-Pierce, B.A. 2002. Farming systems research and extension methods for
the development of sustainable aquaculture ecosystems, p. 103-124. In: B.A.
Costa-Pierce (Ed.) Ecological
Aquaculture: The Evolution of the Blue Revolution. Blackwell Science,
Oxford, UK. (IN URI LIBRARY)
CLASS 7. March 10. Aquaculture for
the Poor: Do Working Visions and Methodologies Exist?
Oral presentations Schedule
Resources: (1) Lecture 7 Powerpoint
(2) Aquaculture without Frontiers Website
March
17. NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK
CLASS 8. March 24. Salmon
Aquaculture Ecosystems
Oral presentations Schedule
Technical Aspects due
Resources: (1) Lecture 8 Powerpoint
(2) Brooks and Jones (3) PCBs in Food (4) BCP Epilogues
(4) WEB
SITES TO CHECK: (a) WWF
Salmon Aquaculture Dialog (b) URI
Sustainable Seafood Initiative (c) Canadian Jobs
Report
CLASS 9. March 31. Shellfish
Aquaculture Ecosystems
Oral presentations Schedule
Problems and
Opportunities due by e-mail by Class Time bcp@gso.uri.edu
Resources: (1) Lecture 9 Powerpoint
(2) Shellfish
Systems (3) ASMFC
Shellfish Habitat Report (4) Korea
Polyculture Presentation
CLASS 10. April 7. GUEST LECTURE 4:00-5:30 PM: Dr. David Bengtson
(Chair, URI Dept. of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science): Carrying
Capacity in Aquaculture Ecosystems.
Resources: (1) Lecture 10
CLASS 11. April 14. Shrimp
Aquaculture Ecosystems
Draft Final Reports due by e-mail by Class Time bcp@gso.uri.edu
Resources: (1) Lecture 11 Powerpoint
(2) Shrimp
Ecosystems Web Site (3) WWF Certification
(4) World Watch
Report (2008)
CLASS 12. April 21. Tilapia
Aquaculture Ecosystems
Final Comments on Draft
Reports Distributed
Resources: (1) Lecture 12 (2) Costa-Pierce
and Rakocy 1997, 2000
CLASS 13. April 28. The Future of
the Blue Revolution – Two Presentations: (1) A Vision for Coastal Africa (2)
The Social Ecology of the Aquatic Foods
Resources: (1) Kifle Hagos Guest Lecture
on Eritrea; (2) Lecture
13 Powerpoint
CLASS 14. May 5. FINALS WEEK—NO CLASS:
Final
Term Papers Due by e-mail bcp@gso.uri.edu
to Course Instructor by 4:00 PM. Time, Date Stamp on e-mail Used for Evaluation
Class Term Paper Projects
Term paper projects will be selected according to
student interests during the first week of classes. Projects are to be done
both: (1) as a team (2-5, depending on class size) of persons working together;
and (2) separately on a final report on an ecological aquaculture topic of
their choice, chosen from the list below.
Time
will be made in each class to interact as a group and one-to-one with the
instructor in individualized learning on your project. Each of you is
responsible for conducting discussions on the required aspects of the topic
with team members and bringing new
materials to the group every week. Each participant must bring into the
team meeting new written and copied materials for discussion each week. These
materials advance progress towards submission of a final report.
However,
your grade is determined by your submissions to me. Each student submits THEIR OWN SECTIONS OF THE REPORT AND THEIR
OWN FINAL REPORT. It is important that each student understand that they
alone are responsible for researching (with the help of the instructor and
other students) the materials for the final report, and bringing new ideas and
materials to the group in and out of class. You are not to copy each other or
the WWW postings — I use sophisticated software to detect all plagiarism in
reports — but you can use the same resource materials. Highest grades on the
reports will demonstrate excellent use of individually gathered materials and individually
researched reports that are innovative and comprehensive.
The
goals of the projects are to use the WWW and the science literature to develop
a more effective educational experience for students that is both individualized
and global, but maintains the rigor and very high scientific standards of the
Sustainable Ecological
Aquaculture (SEA) Team Topics for Spring Semester 2009
Salmonid SEA
Team - A Salmonid Aquaculture Ecosystem
for Local Food Systems
Offshore SEA Team
- An Offshore Aquaculture Ecosystem Integrated with Windpower
Oyster SEA Team -
A Risk Assessment for Oyster Aquaculture in a Coastal Lagoon
Africa SEA Team -
A Cage Aquaculture Ecosystem for a Tropical Lake in Africa
Final Report Structure
Every
report has to have an Abstract, visit Write a Smashing
Abstract!
1. Title and Outline.
2. Introduction: The setting: the overall issues and study objectives.
3. Social Aspects. Social capital, demographics, culture, economy, natural
resource base.
4. Technical Aspects. Aquaculture production network, technologies.
5. Problems and
Constraints. Social, political, economic, technical constraints to
sustainability. Describe the problems: origins, development, the way it is
being address at present.
6. Opportunities. The
"basket of options" available to overcome problems and constraints.
7. Conclusions and Recommendations.
Rank your recommendations in order of importance, and be comprehensive.
8. References. Complete
resource documentation of literature and WWW resources.
Due Dates
for Report Assignments
There
are six (6) assignments in this course, all of which are written sections of a
final class project. Each student will work in teams on their class project but
will submit individual assignments, draft, and final reports on the schedule dates
detailed below. For the assignments, each one must be submitted by e-mail
attachments so that projects can be updated regularly on the class WWW pages
that the course instructor will maintain for each project.
|
Assignment Sections |
Percentages of Grade |
Due Dates |
|
1.
Title & Outline |
5 |
Feb.
3 |
|
2.
Introduction & Social Aspects |
10 |
Feb.
24 |
|
3.
Technical Aspects |
20 |
March
24 |
|
4.
Problems & Opportunities |
10 |
March
31 |
|
5.
Draft Individual Final Reports |
10 |
April
14 |
|
6.
Individual Final Reports |
15 |
Last
Day of Classes, May
5 |
|
TOTAL REPORT |
70% of grade |
|
POLICY ON ASSIGNMENTS AND DUE DATES
1. Assignments are due no later than the beginning
of class.
2. If you do not meet that deadline, I will deduct
one letter grade off the grade of the assignment IF the assignment is received
by the beginning of the NEXT REGULARLY
SCHEDULED CLASS.
3. I will accept an assignment late two class
periods, but will deduct another grade off.
4. I will accept assignments that are late TWO CLASS PERIODS ONLY. All
assignments not submitted by the two class periods after it is due it will be assigned
a grade of "zero". Do not even attempt to submit these, please.
5. If you are ill or have a family emergency, it is
YOUR responsibility to get a message to me by e-mail or phone as soon as
possible, and BEFORE the assignment is due. If I don't hear from you two days after the assignment is due,
the only way you'll be able to convince me to reconsider your situation is by
bring in a letter from a doctor (having the doctor's phone number).
6. All assignments must be typed and printed on a
word processor with your name on it, and the title and headings and subheadings
of the report written clearly.
7. All reports submitted must be in grammatically
correct English, be
spell checked, and proofed before
submission. While you are welcome to discuss assignments with your classmates,
you are to write your own assignments individually.
8.
Submission of identical or nearly identical answers in my judgment will result in these persons being assigned a
grade of "zero"; no exceptions.