Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic director focused on measurable results and operational excellence in maritime education. Integrates IMO/STCW regulations and ISO 21001/9001 f
Course · 300 h · 5 modules
Course in Restoring Trawled and Damaged Seabeds
The Course in Restoring Trawled and Damaged Seabeds Prepares you to diagnose and plan the recovery of damaged seabeds affected by bottom trawling, dredging, anchoring or construction. You will study how these pressures affect sedi
Duration300 h
FormatOnline
Starts21 December
Places20 / 20
Prior knowledge
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Programme overview
What is the Course in Restoring Trawled and Damaged Seabeds?
The Course in Restoring Trawled and Damaged Seabeds
Prepares you to diagnose and plan the recovery of damaged seabeds affected by bottom trawling, dredging, anchoring or construction. You will study how these pressures affect sediments and the communities living in them, why protection from further disturbance is usually the most effective measure, and which active restoration techniques, still under development, exist for habitats such as maerl beds, coralligenous reefs and gorgonian fields.
Key advantages
- Hidden habitats: Soft sediments, maerl, coralligenous and deep-water communities.
- Sound diagnosis: Mapping, trawl footprint and seabed indicators.
- Passive recovery: Spatial closures and fisheries management as the main tool.
- Emerging techniques: Gorgonian transplanting and substrate stabilisation.
- Case study: A recovery plan for a specific damaged area.
Programme type
Course
Study mode
Online
Duration
300 hours
Modules
5
Programme highlights
- Understand the damage: Analyse the effects of trawling and dredging.
- Diagnose the seabed: Use mapping and benthic indicators.
- Protect first: Design closures and management measures.
- Restore with care: Learn active techniques and their limits.
- Broaden your profile: Useful for fisheries management, consultancy and conservation.
- Train to bring life back to the seabeds that go unseen yet sustain the ocean.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 5 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Seabeds and Benthic Communities
- Soft and hard seabeds
- Benthic communities
- Maerl and coralligenous habitats
- Gorgonians and deep-water corals
- Functions of the seabed
02
Disturbance and Its Impact
- Bottom trawling
- Dredging and disposal of material
- Anchors and chains
- Cables, pipelines and construction
- Recovery times
03
Diagnosing the Seabed
- Spatial footprint of trawling
- Sonar and multibeam echosounders
- Underwater imagery and remote vehicles
- Sediment and fauna sampling
- Seabed integrity indicators
04
Passive and Active Recovery
- Spatial closures and protected areas
- Changes to fishing gear
- Natural recovery of communities
- Gorgonian transplanting research
- Substrate stabilisation
05
Monitoring and Case Study
- Designing the monitoring
- Recovery indicators
- Working with the fishing industry
- Applicable regulations
- Case study: recovery plan for a damaged seabed
Workload
Study Time and Workload
300 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Biologists and marine science graduates: who want to specialise in benthic communities Fisheries management officers: who assess the impact of bottom-contact gear Environmental consultants: working on dredging and marine works Marine protected area staff: who manage sensitive seabeds NGO staff: who campaign for seabed protection
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Understand the seabed
- 02Analyse the impact of disturbance
- 03Diagnose seabed condition
- 04Design passive recovery
- 05Know the active techniques
- 06Plan monitoring
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Seabed conservation officer: Diagnosis and recovery plans.
02Fisheries management officer: Assessing the impact of bottom-contact gear.
03Environmental consultant: Dredging and marine works studies and mitigation.
04Benthic monitoring officer: Sampling and analysing seabed communities.
Questions
Entry Requirements
Active techniques are being trialled for some habitats, but they are emerging; in most cases the most effective measure is to remove the disturbance.
No. It analyses its impacts rigorously and the management measures that can reduce them, in collaboration with the industry.
Yes. Dredging, disposal of material and mitigation measures are covered.
Yes. You use publicly available habitat mapping and fishing activity data.
A recovery plan for a damaged seabed, with diagnosis, measures and monitoring.
100% online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded, and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The programme involves 300 hours of study. You can work at your own pace within the timetable we give you when you enrol.
Each programme has its own start date, shown on this page and confirmed by our admissions team when you enquire.
On completing the programme you receive the Course in Restoring Trawled and Damaged Seabeds qualification awarded by Navalis Magna Institute.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Entry profile: A university degree or vocational qualification in biology, marine science or environmental science; or experience in fisheries management or environmental consultancy. Language: A good working level of English to follow classes and materials. Technical requirements: A computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a webcam for live sessions and project presentations. Admissions process: Online application, profile review and a short interview with the academic team. We confirm your start date when you enquire.
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
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