APBI 319: Aquaculture and the Environment

Academic Calendar Description:

As the aquaculture industry expands, impacts on the natural environment must be minimized to ensure a sustainable development. In this course, aquaculture practices and management techniques will be analyzed for their effectiveness in mitigating impacts on wild species and ecosystems.

Winter term 1

Tues/Thurs 14:00-15:30

Credits: 3

TA: Ben Niemann 

Instructor: Andrea Frommel, PhD

Please refer to me as Andrea or Dr. Frommel.

I will not have formal office hours for this course, but feel free to contact me by sending me a message to: andrea.frommel@ubc.ca for questions or to schedule a meeting.

About me: I grew up in California and Germany, and lived in lots of different places in the world before settling in Vancouver. I have a BSc in Marine Biology from the University of California Santa Cruz, a MSc in Biological Oceanography from the University of Southern Denmark and a PhD from the Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research in Kiel, Germany. During my PhD, I started researching the effects of climate change on commercial fish species, which continues to be a large focus of my research program here at UBC. You can check out my lab website here:  https://frommel-lab.landfood.ubc.ca/

Welcome to APBI 319

Aquaculture and the Environment. The class will take place on the UBC Point Grey Campus, which is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The land UBC-V is situated on has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.

My main goal is to teach students how aquaculture can fit into the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations, and the main opportunities and challenges for developing the industry. We will start with an overview of aquaculture’s role in meeting food security needs for our growing population and then hone in on the main challenges aquaculture needs to overcome to be environmentally sustainable. The class is mainly lecture based with ample opportunities for lively discussion. We will cover basic principles for a mechanistic understanding of complex issues surrounding aquaculture and the environment and use relevant case studies to deepen understanding. Taking an integrative approach bridging disciplines I strive to give students the information to ask relevant questions and teach them how to develop different approaches to address big problems. I practice learner-centred teaching, formulate learning outcomes that support learners from different backgrounds and tailor my style to the experience level of the students, as well as the classroom size.

I am committed to an inclusive, fair and accessible classroom and expect all students to work towards a class culture where everyone feels welcome and valued. If you have any concerns, please let me know or contact the relevant office listed at the end of the syllabus.

Course Format

This three-credit course will be delivered in 1.5-hour sessions, twice a week over the course of 14 weeks. Each class will a mix of lecture and discussion. The method of presentation makes use of powerpoint and other forms of visual presentation. Canvas will be used as a learning platform. We will have several guest lectures from different sectors, including government, industry and NGOs to give you a broad perspective of environmental management practices and allow you to make connections with these stakeholders.

Course Overview, Content, and Objectives

By 2030, seafood from aquaculture is projected to be the primary source of animal protein as the demand for seafood overtakes the harvest potential of wild capture fisheries. However, as the aquaculture industry expands its output to meet this need, the impacts on the natural environment must be minimized to ensure a sustainable development of the sector. For aquaculture to be sustainable, it must meet the following criteria: effluents, water quality and disease must be effectively managed, wild broodstock, eggs and juveniles must be responsibly sourced, feed must be sustainably sourced, and escapees must be managed to minimize the impact of wild populations. We will discuss these issues in a global perspective, as well as a focus on specific case studies in British Columbia.

This course introduces the different aspects in which aquaculture can impact the natural environment and which aquaculture systems and management practices can minimize or mitigate these impacts. You will learn about ecological, social and ethical aspects of various aquaculture systems through a combination of lectures, review of the primary literature and class discussions.

Learning Outcomes

In this course, the main goals are for you to be able to:

• understand how aquaculture can fit into the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• identify different aspects of aquaculture that can impact the environment
• critically assess different aquaculture systems based on their environmental impact and sustainability, as well as ethical concerns
• discuss implementable management techniques that can mitigate environmental issues arising from unsustainable aquaculture practices

Upon completion of the course, you should be able to: understand environmental issues related to aquaculture; appreciate the importance of sustainable aquaculture and conservation of wildlife and natural habitats; recognize unsustainable aquaculture practices and identify management techniques to mitigate environmental impact; in-class exercises, the term paper and the final project will assist in these learning outcomes.

Evaluation Criteria and Grading

You will be evaluated based on:

• participation during discussions (5%)
• weekly mid maps (1% each for a total of 20%)
• in class presentation on alien species (10%)
• a term paper (25%)
• presentation and group discussion (25%). This will be a group project (3-4 students) in which you first present on a chosen topic and then lead a discussion with the class. You are free to choose the format of your presentation (powerpoint, video/podcast, poster…) and each group will have 30 minutes total (aim to use ~15 minutes to present and 20 minutes for the discussion). You will be evaluated as a group and each member will receive the same grade for this assignment.
• Participation in final class discussion: transition plan for BC (15%)

Absence policy and mind maps

Please stay home if you are feeling unwell. You do not need to email me and explain an absence. If you miss class and would like to hand in a mind map on a lecture you missed, you can create one from the lecture slides and readings, and email it to our TA and me. If you have questions on material you missed, first try to use the canvas discussion page for peer help. If you still have questions, email our TA, email me or arrange for an office hour with the TA or me when you are feeling well again. Let’s all stay safe while we navigate the cold and flu season!

Course Schedule

Readings

No textbook is required for this course. You will be provided with readings of current literature and videos uploaded to canvas to prepare for the class and facilitate discussion. You can find the reading list in the "Assignments" section and the PDFs in "Files".

Final Examination

Instead of a final exam, this class will have an in-class discussion.

Academic Integrity

The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity.  As members of this enterprise, all students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic integrity.  At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required.  This also means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed.  For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences.

Why is academic integrity important?

The course teaching team, UBC, and the scholarly community at large share an understanding of the ethical ways that we use to produce knowledge. A core practice of this shared value of academic integrity is that we acknowledge the contributions of others to our own work, but it also means we produce our own contributions that add to the scholarly conversation: we don’t buy or copy papers or exams, or have someone else edit them. We also don’t falsify data or sources, or hand in the same work in more than one course.

As a student, your number one task is to learn new things. Just like your professors, however, you are a member of a university scholarly community. As a part of this community, you are responsible for engaging with existing knowledge and contributing ideas of your own. Academics — including you! —build knowledge through rigorous research that expands on the contributions of others, both in the faraway past and around the world today. This is called scholarship. Academic integrity, in short, means being an honest, diligent, and responsible scholar. This includes:

• Taking exams without cheating.
• Completing assignments independently or acknowledging collaboration when appropriate. Collaboration through group work is an effective way to learn. I will clearly indicate when you should collaborate, for example during in-class group work and on some online homework assignments.
• Creating and expressing your own original ideas.
• Engaging with the ideas of others, both past and present, in a variety of scholarly platforms such as research journals, books by academics, lectures, etc.

• Explicitly acknowledging the sources of your knowledge, especially through accurate citation practices.

Use of AI tools such as ChatGPT

The use of all AI language generators and chatbots, such as Chat GPT, is not permitted in this course unless specifically stated to be included in an assignment. Unauthorized use falls under “cheating” in the UBC policy.  Any content generated or supported by an artificial intelligence tool must be cited appropriately, failure to do so falls under academic misconduct.

What should I know about sharing course materials?

I am working hard to provide all the materials you need to succeed in this course. In return, please respect my work. All lecture material, assignment instructions, discussion questions, announcements, PowerPoint slides, audio/video recordings, Canvas modules, and any other materials provided to you are for use in this course by students currently enrolled in APBI 319. It is unacceptable to share any of these materials beyond this course, including by posting on file-sharing websites (e.g., CourseHero, Google Docs). It is unacceptable to copy and paste sentences from course material into for-profit software (e.g., Quizlet) for use in studying. Respect the instructors’ intellectual property, and follow copyright law.

What happens when academic integrity is breached?

Violations of academic integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if the matter is referred for consideration for academic discipline. Careful records are kept to monitor and prevent recurrences. Any instance of cheating or taking credit for someone else’s work, whether intentionally or unintentionally, can and often will result in at minimum a grade of zero for the assignment, and these cases will be reported to the Head of the Department and Associate Dean Academic of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

What support is available?

Feel free to ask me about academic integrity. Part of my job is to guide your growth as a scholar, and I would much rather you ask for clarification than unintentionally engage in academic misconduct, which has serious consequences. If you are unsure about what constitutes academic misconduct, please reach out to me.

Sometimes students who are experiencing a lot of stress feel the only way to deal with a situation is to cheat. Please do not do this. Talk to me, and I am sure we can work something out together.

To help you learn your responsibilities as a scholar, please read and understand UBC’s expectations for academic honesty in the UBC Calendar: “Academic Honesty,” “Academic Misconduct,” and “Disciplinary Measures,”. Read and reflect on the Student Declaration and Responsibility. There are resources to help you meet these expectations, for example the Chapman Learning Commons "Understand Academic Integrity". 

For written assignments and help with plagiarism and citation, see the Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication. Additional resources for learning with integrity can be found on the UBC Academic Integrity Website.

Reference

The content in this section on Academic Integrity is adapted from the helpful document Dr. Catherine Rawn and others created in the summer of 2020. This document has complete examples from several instructors that are Creative Commons licensed for re-use with attribution.

Resources

UBC Disability Resource Centre

The Disability Resource Centre ensures educational equity for students with disabilities, injuries or illness. If you are disabled, have an injury or illness and require academic accommodations to meet the course objectives, please contact Access and Diversity: https://students.ubc.ca/about-student-services/access-diversity

UBC Ombuds Office

The Ombuds Office offers independent, impartial, and confidential support to students in navigating UBC policies, processes, and resources, as well as guidance in resolving concerns related to fairness.

email: ombuds.office@ubc.ca

Web: http://ombudsoffice.ubc.ca/

UBC Equity and Inclusion Office

UBC is a place where every student, staff and faculty member should be able to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. UBC prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of the following grounds: age, ancestry, colour, family status, marital status, physical or mental disability, place of origin, political belief, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or unrelated criminal conviction. If you require assistance related to an issue of equity, discrimination or harassment, please contact the Equity and Inclusion Office.

Web: http://equity.ubc.ca/

Mental Health

College can be a challenging time. UBC has mental health resources for students to provide support and help you achieve your academic goals. Visit https://students.ubc.ca/health to learn more.

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Don't want to walk alone at night?  Not too sure how to get somewhere on campus?  Call Safewalk at 604-822-5355

For more information, see: https://www.ams.ubc.ca/services/safewalk/