For understanding the Vietnamese marine biodiversity

Introduction: 

Vietnam has one of the world’s most diverse marine biologic systems. This biodiversity feeds and supports not only local communities within Vietnam, but, a growing international export market, as well.

Vietnam also is one of the world’s countries most at risk for loss of biodiversity due to climate change. With the risk due to both climate change and increased reliance on the marine system to support both local and international markets, it is imperative to understand not only the biodiversity that exists, but, the factors that help maintain it, as the pressures on it increase.

Objective: 

The purpose of this course is to introduce the concepts necessary to understand marine biodiversity with the specific examples of Vietnamese marine biodiversity.

Lectures: 

The course contains both theoretical and practical field and laboratory work.

The theoretical elements are the following:

- What is Biodiversity and how is it measured?;

- What is a species and why is it important?;

- Coral Reef Systems;

- Marine Soft Bottom Systems;

- Mangorove forest Systems;

- Marine Ecology;

- MolecularEcology

- Marine Biodiversity Conservation.

Field trip and Practice course: 

Common practical field courses will include field trips to (but not limited to) the following areas Hon Mun, Oceanography Institute, Song Lo (Nha Trang City) and Cu lao Cau (BinhThuan Province). These will include inspection and measurement of coral reef, intertidal and super tidal, mangrove forest biodiversity. Whenever possible, economically and environmentally important species will be utilized for demonstration and examination, with explanations of why it so important to preserve our biodiversity. 

The information and experiences gathered here will be readily transferable to marine systems around the globe.

Contact: binhthuydang@gmail.com  /   ngannt@ntu.edu.vn