Task 3 - Field Course Report
Task 3 - Field Course Report
Start Assignment
DueSep 23by18:00
Points100
Submittinga file upload
AvailableAug 25 at 0:00 - Sep 30 at 18:00
Goal
Demonstrate knowledge and basic analytical skills in the scientific investigation of marine vertebrates and of key issues for their conservation and management.
Format/Product Report
Type Individual
Word Count Max 2000 +/- 10% words
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) Assessed
CLO #1Communicate effectively and professionally
CLO #2Demonstrate and apply knowledge about the evolution, diversity and ecology of marine vertebrates and key issues for their conservation and management.
CLO #3Critically analyse and evaluate the local and global threats to marine fish, reptiles, birds and mammals, and field data to investigate basic ecology of marine vertebrates.
Assessment Criteria and Rubric
Rubrics help you to understand what knowledge and skills you need to demonstrate in your assessments. They also show you how your submission will be marked and what is expected at the different grade levels.
Collect and analyse data to answer a scientific question pertaining to the ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates;Interpret and contextualise findings in the light of available scientific literature regarding the biology of the selected animal, the threats it faces, and the tools available for its conservation; and
Communicate your understanding in a professional and scientific manner.
Task Instructions:
ANM104 - Marine Vertebrate Ecology & Evolution
Assessment Task 3: Field Course Report
In this task, you will demonstrate your ability to collect, analyse and summarise field survey data in a scientific report format.
You will create a written report presenting the results of either (not both) the shorebird distribution survey or the whale behaviour survey in Hervey Bay. The data you need to prepare the report will be gathered in the field trip in either week 2 or 4 (depending on what trip you are on), and you will be supported in data analysis and report writing in the computer workshops in Week 6.
Please follow these guidelines for preparing your report.
Title page (Worth 5%)
The first page of your report should include:
Your name, student number, and course code.
Report title. The title should be concise and informative.
Total word count, excluding references and table/figure captions.
Introduction (3-4 paragraphs; ~500 words) (Worth 20%)
Well written and organised
Summarise the key points of relevant published literature on the subject
End this section with clear statements of your aims and hypotheses
e.g. In this study, we aim to ...
We will test the following hypotheses...
Methods (2-3 paragraphs; ~500 words) (Worth 20%)
Describe the research methods in sufficient detail, so that another researcher could repeat the study from your description. Use the past tense (e.g. We surveyed...) to describe how the field data were collected, analysed and plotted. Describe the statistical test used. The map may be placed here.
Results (~250 words, excluding table and figure captions) (Worth 20%)
Minimum 1 map (may be in the methods), 1 table and 1 figure (graphs)
You must use and report on a minimum of 1 statistical test.
Analysis to be based on CLASS data set provided (not individual data collected on the day)
Present research findings only.
Do not interpret your results in this section, save your interpretation for the Discussion section.
Insert your table and figure in this section, with clear captions describing what each shows.
Table captions should appear above the table, figure captions should appear beneath the figure.
Discussion (3-4 paragraphs; ~750 words) (Worth 20%)
State your main results as clear sentences in the opening paragraph of the Discussion.
Describe how these results relate to the aims and hypotheses you described in the Introduction.
Do not make any reference to figures and tables in this section.
Use citations of other published work to place your results in context with the rest of the literature.
Include realistic recommendations for future research that could build on your study.
End the discussion with a clear statement of your main conclusions and outline the importance of the results for conservation and management.
References (not included in word count) (Worth 10%)
Follow the guidelines set by the publisher (CSIRO) of the scientific journal Marine and Freshwater Research (https://www.publish.csiro.au/mf/forauthors/AuthorInstructions#11 ) and keep this consistent throughout.
Use primary scientific literature (>10 papers from peer-reviewed scientific journals), and books.
Do not reference websites, apart from the IUCN Red List or State/Commonwealth government websites.
Formatting Specifications (Worth 5%)
Your report should not exceed 2000 words +/- 10%, excluding the references and figure captions.
Use Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman font, size 12pt.
Line spacing 1.5 spaces per line.
Report organised according to guidelines (above)
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are accurate
Text concise and free of jargon
Choose to write in either the active (i.e. We investigated ...) or passive (This study investigated...) voice in the text, and keep this consistent throughout the report.
Save your report as a single Microsoft Word document (.docx or .doc).
The filename should follow the format "ANM104_2022_Task2_YourSurname_YourFirstName.doc"
*** Submission ***
You have multiple chances to submit your work via Turnitin on Canvas. Submit your first drafts before 6:00pm on Thursday September 22 (Week 9). This will give you feedback regarding the uniqueness of your report.
Submit your final report as a Word document, via Turnitin, through the Task 3 link under the Assignments tab of the ANM104 Canvas page before 6:00pm on Friday September 23 (Week 9).
Please leave sufficient time before the deadline in case of technical problems and allow time for the document to upload. Late submissions will carry a penalty of -5% per day.
Research hypotheses you will be investigating:
Whale behaviour data.
Adult Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) undertake a greater number of full and half breachings (summed) compared to juveniles.
Low and high fluke dives are a type of avoidance behaviour. Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) show a positive correlation between the number of fluke dives undertaken and the number of boats present.
Shorebird data
Abundance of Pied Cormorants (Phalacrocorax varius) are higher in urbanised areas relative to sandy beaches.
Shorebird species diversity is lower in urbanised environments such as marinas relative to non-urbanised environments.
Resources
Class datasets:
You are to use the class datasets to run your analysis. Please find the one for whales and birds below.
ANM104_WhaleData_2022_29082022.xlsxANM104 Shorebirds data FINAL 29082022.xlsxReferences:
This is a starting point for some references for you. Remember you have to have a minimum of 10 peer reviewed references for your report.
Humpback whale references:
Franklin et al 2011.pdf
McCulloch et al 2021.pdfCorkeron 1995.pdfFranklin et al 2021.pdfStack et al 2021.pdf-2857696520Seabird references:
Conservation without borders solutions to declines of migratory shorebirds in the East Asian Australasian Flyway.pdfDifferential migration of shorebirds in the East Asian Australasian Flyway.pdfDorfman and Kingsford 2001.pdfEco Management Restoration - 2018 - Rastandeh - Land cover change and management implications for the conservation of a.pdf
Morton et al 1993.pdf
Rubric
AMN104 Task 3 Field Course Report
AMN104 Task 3 Field Course Report
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeTitle page and Quality of Introduction 25pts
What I'm looking for in an "excellent" (HD) report
Clear title. Text is well-written, organised in appropriate paragraphs, and flows logically. Includes reference to current understanding of shorebird ecology and foraging habitat selection OR humpback whale behaviour and human interactions. References appropriate scientific literature using in-citations. Clearly states aims and hypotheses. 15pts
What I'm looking for in an "acceptable" (CR) report
Text is relevant, but may be unclear or lacking in structure. Some reference to current understanding of shorebird ecology is made. May include some references to scientific literature, but could be more closely linked to the subject. Includes in-text citations. Makes a reasonable attempt to states aims and/or hypotheses. 0pts
What might cause you to fail
Incomplete introduction, irrelevant focus, no statement of aims or hypotheses, no reference to scientific literature, no in-text citations, text lack structure or clarity.
25pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDescription of methods 20pts
What I'm looking for in an "excellent" (HD) report
Text is well-written, organised in appropriate paragraphs, and flows logically. Uses the past tense to clearly describe how field data were collected and analysed. Includes all relevant aspects of methods. Describes the 1 statistical test used to answer research question. 12pts
What I'm looking for in an "acceptable" (CR) report
May use bullet points or lack sentence and paragraph structure. Describes most aspects of data collection and analysis, but may not present a complete description. Tense may be mixed among paragraphs. 0pts
What might cause you to fail
Does not include information on how field data were collected and analysed. Text does not make sense, or is incomplete No statistical analysis performed.
20pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeReporting of results 20pts
What I'm looking for in an "excellent" (HD) report
Results are reported succinctly. Includes at least 1 statistical test. Plus appropriately labelled: 1 map, 1 table, and 1 figure (graphs). Clear, concise and descriptive captions are included with all figures and tables. Prepares own figures from data provided. Results are reported, but not interpreted or discussed. 12pts
What I'm looking for in an "acceptable" (CR) report
Results are reported, but may be incomplete or lacking in clarity. May not include at least 2 statistical tests, 1 map, 1 table and 2 figures (graphs). Does not use captions on all figures and tables, or the captions are incomplete. May contain some interpretation or discussion of results. 0pts
What might cause you to fail
Incomplete reporting of results. Not including figures and tables. Not using appropriate scientific language. No statistical analysis performed.
20pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDiscussion and interpretation of results 20pts
What I'm looking for in an "excellent" (HD) report
Discusses implications of the results in terms of ecology, conservation and environmental management. Text is well-written and flows logically. Results are discussed clearly in the context of relevant scientific literature. Does not reference figures or tables in this section. Realistic recommendations or future research to build on study. 12pts
What I'm looking for in an "acceptable" (CR) report
Provides some contextualisation of results, but with few references to relevant scientific literature. Discusses some implications of the results in terms of ecology, conservation and environmental management, but this lacks sophistication or clarity in places. May make reference to figures to tables in this section. 0pts
What might cause you to fail
Discussion of results is incomplete or unclear. Conclusions drawn are not relevant to the results.
20pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSelection and referencing of information sources 10pts
What I'm looking for in an "excellent" (HD) report
All information sources used are appropriate. Includes recent, published scientific literature from high quality journals, authored by experts in the field. Referencing accurately follows CSIRO format, both in text and in reference list. > 10 peer reviewed papers. 6pts
What I'm looking for in an "acceptable" (CR) report
Makes some references to published scientific literature, but may select studies that have questionable relevance. Referencing mostly follows APA format, but may be inaccurate in places. 0pts
What might cause you to fail
Referencing websites other than IUCN or government sites. Inaccurate referencing, or lack of coherence in reference formatting. Does not include any reference to scientific literature.
10pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCompliance with formatting specifications 5pts
What I'm looking for in an "excellent" (HD) report
Total word count is below 2000 words. Report is organised according to guidelines provided. Spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate, and the text is concise and free of jargon. Figures captions appear below figure, table captions above figure. Consistent use of active or passive voice throughout. 3pts
What I'm looking for in an "acceptable" (CR) report
Total word count is below 2000 words. Report is largely organised according to guidelines provided, but may deviate from those guidelines in places. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are generally correct, but there may be some errors. Provides figure captions, but these are not the correct places. Use of active or passive voice is generally consistent. 0pts
What might cause you to fail
Ignoring guidelines for report structure and formatting. Poor spelling, grammar or punctuation. Inappropriate use of language. Not providing figure captions. Inconsistent use of tense, or of active/passive voice.
5pts
Total Points:100
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