BIOSCI 100
Antarctica: The
Frozen Continent.
This 2 pt course may be taken within the BA (where it counts as an Arts course) or within the BSc. It can also be transferred to degrees in other Faculties (check with your Faculty administration first). Biological Sciences is not available as a major or minor within the BA.
BIOSCI 100 Antarctica: The Frozen Continent
Antarctica is a continent of extremes. It is the highest, driest, coldest and windiest of the seven continents, and it is also the least known and least exploited. Human history in Antarctica extends back just over a century, and it reflects the politics and technology of the 20th Century. This course will examine the natural history of the seventh continent, from its geological origins and fossil inhabitants to modern flora and fauna and human exploration. Themes to be addressed include: the splitting of Gondwana and the origins of Antarctica; human involvement and the history of Antarctic exploration; the Southern Ocean ecosystem, including penguins, seals and whales; the Antarctic Treaty and Antarctica as a World Heritage Region; human impact including exploitation, tourism, and pollution. Special emphasis will be given to the varied adaptations that fit Antarctic organisms into the harshest climate known on Earth. This course is suitable for students with both science and non-science backgrounds.
Semester : First Semester
Location: City Campus
Times: 5-6.00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
This course is supplemented with video material available from the Audiovisual Library. The contents of the course are available on line (to enrolled students only) through Cecil.
Further details relating to the Stage 1 course on Antarctica taught by The School of Biological Sciences (University of Auckland) are available from the Student Resource Centre, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, tel (09) 373 7599 ext 7297, internet http://www.sbs.auckland.ac.nz
Ask for the Undergraduate Guide
and the Antarctic Brochure.