Marine Ecology

The main objective of the course is to offer the theorethical and practical background of marine ecologiy to students with emphasis on the biological interactions and nutrient/energy cycles. Students will be acquainted with the basic abiotic factors of the marine environment, the structural characteristics of biological systems and key processes in marine ecosystems. The course deals with the long-term changes in marine ecosystems and the impacts of humans on their structure and function, as well. The course will enable students to develop critical thinking on the anthropogenic impacts on marine processes and biodiversity.

Prerequisite general knowledge of the following courses: physics, chemistry, biology and, above all, ecology. The course links in part also to the courses Meteorology and Oceanography and protection of coastal seas and serves as a basis to study the management of coastal and marine areas.

*Characteristics of the marine environment * Marine organisms and habitats * Structure and dynamics of communities * The functioning of marine ecosystems * Marine biodiversity and global changes

Students will achieve abilities such as:
• capability of understanding the role of ecological factors on the processes in marine realm,
• capability of recognition of gliobal and climate change and their effects on the living realm,
• capability of recognition of anthropogenic impacts on marine processes and biodversity,
• recognition of littoral stages,
• knowledge on (modern) sampling approaches and techniques.

• Valiela, I. 1996: Marine Ecological Processes. 2. izdaja/2nd Edition, Springer-Verlag, New York, 686 str./686 pp. Catalogue E-version
• Nybakken, J. W. 1988: Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach. 2. izdaja/nd Edition. Harper&Row Publ. Inc., New York, izbrana poglavja/selected chapters. E-version
• Tarman, K. 1992: Osnove ekologije in ekologija živali. Državna založba Slovenije, Ljubljana. Catalogue

Written examination (100 %)

Full Professor of Ecology

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, MAVRIČ, Borut, ORLANDO-BONACA, Martina, MALEJ, Alenka. State of the art of the marine non-idigenous flora and fauna in Slovenia. Mediterranean Marine Science, ISSN 1108-393X, 2012, vol 13, str. 243-249. [COBISS.SI-ID 2632783]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, ORLANDO-BONACA, Martina, MAVRIČ, Borut, VODOPIVEC, Martin, KRUŽIĆ, Petar. Monitoring of marine biodiversity in Strunjan nature reserve (Gulf of Trieste, Slovenia), with special emphasis on climate change impacts on selected biological elements. V: VRANJEŠ, Matej (ur.), et al. Climate change and management of protected areas : studies on biodiversity, visitor flows and energy efficiency. 1st ed. Portorož: Soline Pridelava soli; Bled: Triglav National Park, 2013, str. 41-49. [COBISS.SI-ID 2938959]

MAVRIČ, Borut, URBANIČ, Gorazd, LIPEJ, Lovrenc, SIMBOURA, Nomiki. Influence of sample size on ecological status assessment using marine benthic invertebrate-based indices. Marine ecology, ISSN 0173-9565, 2013, vol. 34, issue 1, str. 72-79, doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0485.2012.00526.x. [COBISS.SI-ID 2605903]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc (avtor, prevajalec, fotograf), TURK, Robert (avtor, prevajalec), MAKOVEC, Tihomir (avtor, ilustrator, fotograf). Ogrožene vrste in habitatni tipi v slovenskem morju = Endangered species and habitat types in the Slovenian sea. Ljubljana: Zavod RS za varstvo narave, 2006. 264 str., ilustr. ISBN 961-91505-4-6. [COBISS.SI-ID 226668288]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, MAVRIČ, Borut, PALISKA, Dejan, CAPAPÉ, Christian. Feeding habits of the pelagic stingray Pteroplatytrygon violacea (Chondrichthyes: Dasyatidae) in the Adriatic Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, ISSN 0025-3154, 2013, vol. 93, issue 2, str. 285-290, ilustr., doi: 10.1017/S0025315412000197. [COBISS.SI-ID 2546255]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, MAVRIČ, Borut, REŠEK, Snežna, CHERIF, Mourad, CAPAPÉ, Christian. Food and feeding habits of the blackspotted smooth-hound, Mustelus punctulatus (Elasmobranchii: carcharhiniformes: Triakidae), from the Northern Adriatic. Acta ichthyologica et piscatoria, ISSN 1734-1515, 2011, vol. 41, no. 3, str. 171-177. http://www.aiep.pl/volumes/2010/2_3/pdf/04_1086_P7.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 2440783]

ORLANDO-BONACA, Martina, LIPEJ, Lovrenc, ORFANIDIS, Sotiris. Benthic macrophytes as a tool for delineating, monitoring and assessing ecological status: the case of Slovenian coastal waters. Marine pollution bulletin, ISSN 0025-326X, 2008, vol. 56, št. 4, str. 666-676. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2007.12.018. [COBISS.SI-ID 1827663]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, ORLANDO-BONACA, Martina. Assessing blennioid fish populations in the shallow Gulf of Trieste: a comparison of four in situ methods. Periodicum biologorum, ISSN 0031-5362, 2006, let. 108, št. 2, str. 151-157, ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 1621839]

ORLANDO-BONACA, Martina, LIPEJ, Lovrenc. Factors affecting habitat occupancy of fish assemblage in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea). Marine ecology, ISSN 0173-9565, 2005, letn. 26, št. 1, str. 42-53, ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 1496143]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, DE MADDALENA, Alessandro (avtor, ilustrator), SOLDO, Alen. Sharks of the Adriatic sea, (Knjižnica Annales Majora). Koper: Univerza na Primorskem, Znanstveno-raziskovalno središče: Zgodovinsko društvo za južno Primorsko, 2004. 253 str., ilustr. ISBN 961-6033-50-6. [COBISS.SI-ID 216087040]

LIPEJ, Lovrenc, ORLANDO-BONACA, Martina, ŠIŠKO, Milijan. Coastal fish diversity in three marine protected areas and one unprotected area in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic). Marine ecology, ISSN 0173-9565, Dec. 2003, letn. 24, št. 4, str. 259-273. [COBISS.SI-ID 1331023]