Master of Marine Biology (MSc)

The graduate Marine Biology programme at VUW.

The Marine Biology group at VUW is part of the wider Ecology & Biodiversity group.  This is composed of 20 academics with a diverse range of interests, including 8 who conduct research in marine biology. We have staff members studying rocky shore and rocky reef ecology, coral reef ecology, marine symbiosis, the eco-physiology of Antarctic ice-algae, seaweed genetics, invertebrate population genetics, and marine conservation.  For more details, please consult staff research interests on our school website (www.victoria.ac.nz\sbs\).

We offer a range of programmes, including Honours in Marine Biology, MSc in Marine Biology, Masters in Marine Conservation (from Jan 2007, subject to final approval), and PhD in Marine Biology; we also offer the Graduate Diploma in Science. Scholarships are available for both domestic and international students. Scholarship opportunities can be found at our “Scholarships & Prizes” website.

The degree or programme structure.  Graduate degrees follow on from undergraduate degrees (a BSc, for example). They are designed for specialized study in a field. These programmes provide training in monitoring and/or research methods, the scientific process, critical evaluation of published research, and further study in selected topics. You’ll need to be much more independent than as an undergraduate, and a high degree of collegiality and contribution to the academic life of the School is expected.

After completing an undergraduate degree, students generally enrol in a Bachelor of Science with Honours (BSc Hons), or a Masters or MSc degree. A BSc (Hons) degree is an intensive year of training, and is composed of three courses plus a small research component. The MSc in Marine Biology generally spans 2 years. In the first year, students do three courses plus a course on ‘research preparation’. In the second year, students are full-time researchers devoted to a research thesis under the supervision of one of our staff. The Masters in Marine Conservation is a 12 or 18 month programme (duration subject to prior qualifications or work experience, see below) that consists exclusively of taught components, including field courses both around New Zealand and in the tropics. The PhD degree (Doctor of Philosophy) is generally termed a post-graduate degree. It requires a minimum of 2.5 years' supervised original research (more typically 3 to 3.5 years), leading to the production of a research thesis. The Graduate Diploma in Science (GradDipSc) degree is often used by students who have an undergraduate degree in another field, but want to gain experience or future entry into other Marine Biology, or Ecology & Biodiversity, graduate programmes.

What are the requirements for entry into the programme? 

The entry requirements are specific to the different graduate degrees:

• For entry into BSc (Hons) and MSc in Marine Biology, students will have generally completed a BSc or equivalent degree, in biological sciences. An average ‘B+’ in the biology courses is considered the minimum entry requirement.  We also expect applicants to have taken some statistical courses (at least STAT 193 for VUW students).

• For entry into the Masters in Marine Conservation, students will have met the same minimum requirements as for the BSc (Hons) and MSc. However, students who already have an Honours degree or above in an appropriate subject, or at least 6 months of relevant work experience, will be able to complete the programme in 12 rather than 18 months.

• For entry to our PhD programmes, a BSc (Hons) degree or a MSc can serve as a pre-requisite for entry, provided a sufficiently high standard is attained.

• For entry to our GradDipSc programme, students will generally have an undergraduate degree preferably in a related discipline.

More information on entry requirements is available in the VUW Calendar, and the web site http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/studying/enrol_admission.html

Examples of current graduate research.

We have listed four examples of the research topics of current graduate students. Note that a wide range of other topics and programmes are available.
 
Laura Wicks (PhD student, supervisor Dr. Simon Davy): Laura is studying the diversity of both symbiotic dinoflagellates (zooxanthellae) and their coral hosts at high latitude sites, and examining their physiological responses to stress and changing environmental conditions. She is working at two marginal temperate sites: New Zealand’s Kermadec Islands, New Zealand’s largest marine nature reserve situated a 3-day boat-ride north of the NZ mainland, and Australia’s Lord Howe Island, a world-heritage site situated off the coast of New South Wales. Specifically, Laura’s work is: 1) using molecular based surveys of zooxanthellae to assess the genetic relatedness, host specificity and geographic distribution of the organisms; 2) comparing the depth distribution of zooxanthellae and corals; and 3) examining the growth rates and the photosynthetic health of zooxanthellae in corals transplanted to different depths. In an additional project, Laura is assisting with work at Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific, where we are measuring the impacts of sedimentation on the health of reef corals and giant clams.

Joe Buchanan (PhD student, supervisor Dr. Joe Zuccarello): Joe is studying the molecular ecology and evolution of New Zealand algae. Molecular techniques can provide new insights into the diversity and evolution of organisms. This project seeks to answer questions about the evolutionary relationships and evolutionary processes in genera of fucoid brown algae. Specifically, what are the relationships among Australasian fucoid species? What are the evolutionary implications of these relationships? What is the extent and pattern of hybridisation between species and how are species boundaries maintained in hybridising species? And what is the effect of limits on the dispersal of species and how does this effect speciation?

Lesley McLeod (PhD student and FRST Tūāpapa Pūtaiao Māori Fellow, supervisor Dr. Nicole Phillips): Lesley is conducting her research on larval behaviour of marine invertebrate species that are of economic and cultural importance:  kina ( the urchin Evechinus chloroticus), paua (the abalone Haliotis iris), and koura (rock lobster Jasus edwardsii).  Lesley is investigating factors that drive variability in larval behaviour for these species, including parental effects and larval quality, across a variety of physical conditions in the water column.  Ultimately, Lesley is interested in how this variability influences the outcome of hydrodynamic models developed to predict larval dispersal. The results from this research will help enhance the predicative capabilities of dispersal models (which are currently under development by NIWA) and in the long-term help optimise management strategies for these important species. 

Anna Smith (PhD student, supervisor Dr. Jeff Shima): Anna is investigating the role of different nursery habitats in determining the growth and survival of juvenile temperate reef fish.  She is carrying out a series of habitat manipulations in sub-tidal waters around the Wellington region.  Anna is using the common triplefin (Forsterygion lapillum) as a model species due to its abundance around the coast of New Zealand and its short life span.  She is tagging recently settled triplefins using Visible Implant Elastomer tattoos and then recording their growth, mortality and movement behaviour until they reach sub-adulthood. 

Career opportunities. These degrees attract students keen to work with marine animals and plants, and their conservation. A degree in Marine Biology equips graduates for employment in a wide range of areas that deal with understanding and management of living things, and their interactions with people. Recent graduates have found employment in diverse areas, including:

• Universities – both in NZ and internationally
• Crown Research Institutes such as NIWA (National Institute of Water & Atmospheric
• Research), ESR (Environmental & Scientific Research), Crop & Food
• Private research institutes such as The Cawthron Institute (Nelson)
• National government agencies such as the Department of Conservation, Ministry for the
• Environment, Ministry of Fisheries
• Regional authorities such as city, regional and district councils
• Aquaculture industry: mussel farms, oyster farms, salmon farms
• Consultancy firms that carry out contract marine biology work

Our graduates' abilities in data management, critical analysis, and computing have provided them entry to a wider range of careers, such as in the information technology industry or management.

Furthermore, many of our Honours and Masters students have been awarded PhD scholarships to continue their studies at VUW, or at other universities around the world, while our PhD graduates hold a range of international postdoctoral fellowships and academic positions.