Ecosystems and Aquatic Ecology

The Master’s Programme in Biology, specialising in Ecosystems and Aquatic Ecology, adopts a holistic perspective on nature. Focus is on lakes and rivers and their physical, chemical and in particular biological processes. By studying their interactions, you will become acquainted with how ecosystems work and how humans affect them. This specialisation prepares you for jobs in water and natural resource-management, and is connected to ongoing research.Our society is dependent on a number of ecosystem services. Inland waters, for example, are used for fisheries, recreation, water supply and energy production. These uses, as well as other human activities such as agriculture, forestry and urbanisation affect natural ecosystems, and can lead to reduced water flow, eutrophication, pollution, spread of invasive species, and contribute to climate change. Solid knowledge of ecosystem structure and function is a key to the sustainable use of natural resources.In Ecosystems and Aquatic Ecology, you will study the interactions between organisms and their environment. The ecosystem approach takes a broad, holistic perspective on nature by crossing disciplinary boundaries (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Hydrology). It is about how natural ecosystems work, and in which way they are affected by human perturbations. The ecology of inland waters (lakes and rivers) constitutes an important part of this specialisation, but it also treats other natural as well as constructed ecosystems.In this MSc specialisation, you will:learn how ecosystems work, and in which way they are affected by human perturbationsget a broad, holistic perspective on nature, with focus on inland watersby means of practical exercises gain skills to analyse and judge the status of ecosystems and natural resources.The specialisation on Ecosystems and Aquatic Ecology within the Master Programme in Biology is the choice if you are aiming for work at authorities, consultancies and other organisations dealing with the management or conservation of natural resources, water or other aquatic resources. It also prepares you for an international research career in environmental science, aquatic science, or ecology.