Master's Degree in Marine Ecology

Academic year 2023-24

See the pre-registration, admission and registration deadlines for the 2023-24 academic year for this master's programme.
You can also consult this information for the academic year 2022-23.

General information about Master's theses

The Master's Thesis (TFM) comprises the production of an original academic work specifically written for this purpose, where students must individually apply the skills acquired throughout the programme under the supervision of one or more tutors. Depending on the profiles for each curriculum, the thesis shall enable the assessment of students' professional, educational and/or initial research abilities.

The information below covers each of the stages in TFM academic and administrative management in accordance with the Agreement of the Centre for Postgraduate Studies Management Committee whereby the internal regulations for writing and assessing master's theses at the University of the Balearic Islands are approved and which came into force in the 2020-21 academic year.

Master's Thesis Registration

Students must register for the TFM subject within the registration or extended registration deadlines set by the CEP before being able to move on to the next stages in the process. In turn, each degree may set the conditions and requirements to be fulfilled by students for registration on the TFM (where applicable, these requirements shall be stated in the TFM course guide and in the specific information section for each programme).

The maximum number of registrations to pass the TFM subject is four, plus one additional registration which shall be granted by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies management team upon approval by the master's supervisory team.

Where the viva defence of the master's thesis cannot be held in the same academic year as the initial registration year, an annual and consecutive registration may be granted for academic tutoring to undertake the viva defence. The registration for academic tutoring shall count as a second registration and, where students do not pass the TFM after the tutoring period, any subsequent re-registrations shall count as ordinary registrations.

In any event, where students undertake the TFM viva defence and are given a fail mark, they must request an ordinary re-registration and cannot request a registration merely for academic tutoring.

Assigning Proposals and Tutors

Each programme shall publish the list of proposals or general areas where students registered for the programme TFM may undertake their work. The proposals or areas shall state one or several lecturers who can act as tutors.

The proposals shall be assigned in line with the procedure established for each programme (where applicable, this procedure shall be included in the specific information section for each programme) and it is the responsibility of all tutors to ensure the academic quality of the TFMs.

Undertaking Theses at Collaborating Organisations

Theses may be undertaken at collaborating organisations that have signed an agreement with the UIB (agreement template). The thesis topic must be submitted beforehand to <convenis.postgrau@uib.cat>.

Students who undertake their theses at a collaborating organisation shall be selected in accordance with the terms for the relevant selection procedure set out in the agreement appendix, and as per available spots at each organisation.

The collaborating organisation will appoint a programme coordinator for the entire duration of the stay. The coordinator shall ensure students receive a suitable welcome and training, as well as appropriate management over their academic activities.

In turn, the UIB will appoint a tutor to ensure the academic quality of the thesis.

Ownership of any intellectual or industrial property rights arising from the thesis shall be governed as per the relevant current regulations. Where applicable, what is set out in the agreements signed with public or private institutions which have provided funding or contributed to the implementation of these agreements shall also apply.

Registration of the Master's Thesis Project

Registering for the TFM represents a learning contract between students and the tutor(s).

Once the TFM proposal is assigned to students, they shall formalise the registration of their master's thesis project within the deadlines set for each degree programme (please see the specific information section for the programme) via the following application: https://postgrau.uib.es/tfm which enables students to monitor their request.

Please bear in mind that the registration application should:

  • State the provisional project title (without the use of capital letters except where necessary)
  • State the tutor(s) name and surname(s), as well as their correct e-mail address (this should be checked carefully as this is the communication method where tutors shall accept tutoring of the TFM to finalise registration of the project)
  • Include an attached thesis script in PDF format not surpassing 100MB.

Submission of the Master's Thesis

TFM submission is deemed to be a thesis assessment request made by students.

The TFM may be submitted within the deadlines set for each programme (please see the specific information section for each programme) as long as the students' registration application has been accepted and they have paid the registration and admin fees.

Submission comprises a two-step process. Firstly, students must submit an assessment request over the following application: https://postgrau.uib.es/tfm, where they will be able to monitor the entire process. 

You need to take the following into account when filling in the form:

  • The thesis report must be attached in PDF format as per the regulations set for each programme (and not surpass 100MB in size)
  • The thesis cover must follow the format for the
          Master's Thesis Cover [en]
          Portada del TFM [ca]
          Portada del TFM [es]
  • Where the thesis contains appendices in other formats (audio, video, etc.) that cannot be included in the PDF report, these shall also be attached to the electronic request form
  • Students must also fill in the TFM distribution licence to state whether they accept their work being available as open access or not in the institutional repository for public consultation.

The second necessary step to complete TFM submission comprises depositing the thesis in PDF format (in exactly the same manner as mentioned in the previous point) in the task section that the TFM supervisor has enabled for this purpose in the programme's TFM subject area on Aula Digital. The thesis shall be checked through plagiarism detection tools and a report produced and made available to each tutor and panel member when accepting the TFM submission, as well as in the assessment process by the panel. 

Master's Thesis Viva Defence

The TFM presentation and defence must be a public event where students make an oral presentation before a minimum three-person panel comprising the chair, secretary and one further member. Once the presentation is finished, the panel will open a Q&A session on aspects linked to the thesis.

The TFM viva defence shall be run within the deadlines set for each programme (please see the specific information section for each programme). In order to undertake the TFM viva, students must have passed all other necessary credits to be awarded the degree. Notwithstanding the above, students may defend their TFM with a maximum of one subject still to be passed, where this is allowed by the specific regulations for the TFM on the programme published on the respective website (please see the specific information section for the programme).

The programme may designate one or several TFM panels. Where the programme designates a specific panel for each TFM, this must be done within a maximum deadline of ten working days from the official submission date of the thesis. Once the designation is notified, the chair of the panel (or head of the TFM or programme management) shall convene the other members, tutor(s) and student to present and defend the thesis within ten working days at most.

In exceptional circumstances where the TFM contains information that could be deemed confidential, the presentation and viva procedure may be modified as per what is set out in article 10 of the Regulations for writing and assessing master's theses at the University of the Balearic Islands. In order for the TFM specifications subject to data or results protection processes to apply, students or tutors must make a reasoned request addressed to the CEP at the time of submission.

Master's Thesis Assessment

Each programme shall establish its TFM assessment criteria, which shall be made public every academic year and be taken into account by the panel when grading the TFM (please see the specific information section for each programme). Once the TFM presentation and viva are finalised, the panel shall deliberate on students' attainment level and then award a mark for the thesis, which shall be included in students' academic records.

Resources on Academic Plagiarism, Turnitin and AI.

Web resources from the UIB library: Definition, regulations and other topics related to plagiarism and how to avoid it.

Integridad académica y plagio (Academic integrity, plagiarism and how to include the ideas of others into our work): Author: González Teruel, Aurora - Date: 2019 - (Educational Innovation, University of Valencia) Video on YouTube

Information about accessing Turnitin reports: UIB Turnitin Webinar.

Unlocking the Power of Generative AI Models and Systems such as GPT-4 and ChatGPT for Higher Education: PDF

Resources for Master's Thesis Tutors

Since the first step to check for plagiarism comes from those tutoring theses, tutors are recommended to review the 'Resources on Academic Plagiarism and Turnitin' section on this website.

Guide for master's thesis tutors [ca]

Specific information about theses for the Master's Degree in Marine Ecology

The TFM may be tutored by a maximum of three lecturers, all of whom must hold a PhD.
The tutors might be:

  • MECM teaching staff;
  • UIB researchers not linked to the degree programme;
  • or researchers, with or without a link to the programme, from the following collaborating research centres:
    • Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
    • Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO)
    • Balearic Islands Coastal Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB)
    • Marine Research and Aquaculture Laboratory (LIMIA)
    • and any other organisation with an agreement in force with the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB).

In cases b and c, the lecturer responsible for coordinating TFMs will check the credentials and suitability of the tutor and decide whether a speaker or second tutor is needed who is linked to the degree.

All tutors must have up-to-date credentials so as to access the electronic application made available by the UIB and approve the registration and deposit of the TFM electronically.

Best practice for TFM students and tutors

For students

  • Have a structured and regular relationship with their tutors.
  • Keep an up-to-date record of all results and findings resulting from their tasks.
  • Regularly present their progress to tutors through meetings.
  • Be actively involved in the training process by attending seminars and courses and reading relevant bibliography on the subject of the TFM.
  • Submit the finished work to the tutors in sufficient time for them to revise it (i.e. at least three weeks prior to the submission deadlines).

For tutors

  • Interact personally and regularly with the student in his/her charge.
  • Facilitate the holding of regular meetings to talk about progress in the tasks assigned to the student, and contribute to their scientific and methodological training in the context of recent advances in each speciality.
  • Ensure the student's working conditions, as well as their adequate preparation for workplace hazard prevention.
  • Introduce students to good scientific practice and the code of ethics for sciencists, as well as to the regulations that affect scientific practice.
  • Ensure the scientific quality of the content of the TFM.

Defended Master's thesis

Link to the institutional repository (DSPACE)

  • Dinámica de poblaciones de microorganismos marinos en zonas costeras expuestas a distinto grado de aporte de cremas solares
  • Disentangling the life and death of survival Pinna nobilis individuals after the mass mortality event
  • Influence of environmental variables on activity patterns of the Dusky Grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) assessed through a novel acoustic telemetry approach
  • Recuperación de la función de guardería y hábitat para peces de una pradera de P. oceanica restaurada
  • Respuesta metabólica de los microrganismos marinos a la presencia de filtros UV en zonas costeras de Baleares
  • Addressing biogeochemical patchiness influencing the Western Mediterranean Sea ecosystems using high-resolution in-situ and remote sensing observations
  • Anchoring effects on faunal communities in Posidonia oceanica meadows
  • Avaluació de l'estat ecològic de s'Albufera de Mallorca: una comparativa entre índexs
  • Benthic hydrozoans as potential indicators of anthropogenic impact in Mallorca coast (Western Mediterranean Sea)
  • Cuantificación de las fuentes basales de biomasa de la dorada (Sparus aurata L) a través del análisis de isótopos estables en un sistema de lagunas litorales al nordeste de Mallorca
  • Demographic regulation processes in Pinna nobilis populations of the Balearic Islands: implications for restocking
  • Detección mediante métodos acústicos de las diferencias día-noche en la comunidad pelágica del NW mediterráneo
  • Dinámica de los depósitos de necromasa de Posidonia oceanica (banquettes) en la playa menorquina de Son Bou
  • Early Steps for an Effective Governance Framework to Adapt Urban Beaches to Climate Change Regarding Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services: the case of Cala Millor
  • Efecto de los temporales en el crecimiento vertical de las praderas de posidonia en las islas Baleares
  • Efectos de los microplásticos sobre Posidonia oceanica y sus fijadores de N2 asociados en condiciones acidificadas
  • Estima del tamaño poblacional de Tursiops truncatus en las Islas Pitiusas mediante monitorización acústica pasiva
  • Genetic library using DNA barcoding for Chondrychthyes distribuited in the Porcupine bank, west coast of Ireland
  • Incidence of herbivory of the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi on the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica
  • Ingesta de microplásticos (MPs) y estrés oxidativo en Scyliorhinus canicula y Galeus melastomus (Condrictios: Scyliorhinidae) en el Mar Balear (Mediterráneo Occidental)
  • Isotopic comparison (N15 and C13 ) of Roman time and modern fish species in Mallorca
  • Nueva metodología para determinar el sexo de la especie Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 a partir de la longitud corporal mediante fotogrametría aérea en el Mediterráneo occidental
  • Prevalencia de "Toxoplasma gondii" en gaviotas patiamarillas nidificantes de las Islas Baleares
  • Quantification and evaluation of plastics in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea
  • Resposta metabolòmica en context de canvi global: El cas de l'esponja marina Aplysina aerophoba Nardo, 1843
  • Sink-source connectivity for restocking of Pinna nobilis in the Spanish Mediterranean Sea
  • The metabolic pace-of-life syndrome of Xyrichtys novacula Linnaeus, 1758
  • Vegetación, morfología y cambios volumétricos en dunas litorales. Una aproximación a la evolución de la duna primaria a partir de datos LiDAR y fotointerpretación
  • Abundancia y distribución del microzooplancton y su papel en la supervivencia de las larvas de atún rojo (Thunnus thynnus) en el Noroeste Mediterráneo
  • Anàlisi de les comunitats de crustacis decàpodes dels fons explotats de les Illes Balears
  • Análisis de ácidos grasos en retina de juveniles de Atún rojo del Atlántico
  • Análisis temporal de la abundancia, distribución y parámetros biológicos de Sardinella aurita en el Mediterráneo español
  • Aproximación al conocimiento de las poblaciones de Coral rojo (Corallium rubrum) en el marco de las Islas Baleares
  • Áreas Marinas Protegidas: Una herramienta para determinar el Buen Estado Ambiental (BEA) de los ecosistemas marinos
  • “Diversidad genética y estructura poblacional en invertebrados bentónicos protegidos de las Islas Baleares”
  • Ecology of Posidonia oceanica necromass (seagrass berms) in Es Trenc, a semi-exposed beach in Mallorca, Balearic Islands
  • Effects of sunscreen on Posidonia oceanica and its associated community of N2-fixing under different temperature levels
  • Estudio de la biocenosis de foraminíferos asociada a esponjas del mar Mediterráneo
  • Evaluación de la restauración de la pradera de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile mediante la recuperación de la comunidad epifaunal
  • EvaluaciónLdel estado de conservación de las comunidades bentónicas explotadas por la pesca de arrastre en el Mediterráneo Occidental
  • Tanatocenosis y sedimentología de los ‘'blancos'' (fairy circles) de las praderas de Posidonia oceanica
  • Temperature-dependence of the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus: a behavioural approach
  • UNCOVERING THE HIDDEN DIVERSITY OF Amphiglena mediterranea (ANNELIDA: SABELLIDAE): AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
  • Under pressure: Assessing the ecological boundaries of the goose barnacle Lepas sp. (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • ANÁLISIS DE LA DINÁMICA ESPACIAL DEL DELFÍN MULAR EN PITIUSAS MEDIANTE IDENTIFICACIÓN INDIVIDUAL POR SILBIDO FIRMA Y SU RELACIÓN CON EL RUIDO ANTRÓPICO
  • Análisis temporal de la abundancia, distribución y parámetros biológicos de Trachurus mediterraneus (Steindachner, 1868) en el Mediterráneo español
  • Análsis del efecto de los microplásticos mediante biomarcadores de estrés oxidativo en Sparus aurata
  • Aquatic high-throughput tracking: comparison among technologies, post-processing methods and species' behaviour
  • Comparativa de las características de los silbidos firma de Tursiops truncatus entre Pitiusas y otras poblaciones mediterráneas
  • Dealing with data-limited from recreational fisheries to estimate abundances of alabacore, Thunnus alalunga
  • DIVERSIDAD GENÉTICA Y CONECTIVIDAD DE LA RAYA Leucoraja naevus (Müller & Henle, 1841) EN EL ATLÁNTICO NORDESTE Y EL MEDITERRÁNEO OCCIDENTAL
  • EFFECTS OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE INVASIVE MACROALGAE Halimeda incrassata
  • Effects of microplastics ingestion on fish brains: A case study with gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.)
  • Estudio de las asociaciones de foraminíferos bentónicos en el sondeo MAGALLUF06 (Mallorca, Illes Balears): Una reconstrucción paleoambiental de ambientes litorales del cuaternario superior
  • EVALUATION OF BLOOD PARAMETERS OF CARETTA CARETTA IN WILDLIFE RECOVERY CENTRES
  • Ghost fishing gear entanglement on loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Integrative taxonomy reveals cryptic diversity within the hydrozoan genus Euphysa (Cnidaria: Corymorphidae) in Norwegian waters
  • Response of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile and its associated N2 fixers to different combinations of temperature and light levels
  • Varamientos de cetáceos en las Islas Baleares en el período 1998-2016
  • Western Mediterranean goose barnacles (Lepadidae): diversity, distribution, and environmental boundaries of these resistant hitchhikers of the sea
  • Anthropogenic marine debris along the Spanish Mediterranean coastline: What is affecting its abundance?
  • Asociación de la presencia de microalgas tóxicas y la contaminación de plástico: ¿Son los plásticos vectores para HABs?
  • Automatic marine fish detection using deep learning under laboratory conditions
  • Balances de carbono y nutrientes en fragmentos trasplantados de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile 1813
  • Biodisponibilidad del carbono orgánico disuelto (COD) en comunidades de angiospermas marinas bajo la colonización de la macroalga invasora tropical H.incrassata
  • Caracterización de especies invasoras en la bahía de Palma por metódos de muestreo rápidos y taxonomía integrativa
  • Cartografiado y seguimiento de la evolución de una población restaurada de Cystoseira barbata en Menorca
  • Desenvolupament d'un nou índex de susceptibilitat a la pesca (ISP): resultats preliminars per espècies objectiu i accessòries de la Pesca de Ròssec de les Illes Balears
  • Distribución de larvas de Engraulis encrasicolus mediante métodos acústicos en el Mar de Alborán
  • Ecologia del calàpet, Bufotes balearicus (Boettger, 1880): Demografía i avaluació de l'ús de la fotoidentificació com a mètode de marcatge individual no invasiu
  • Eficiencia y selectividad de dos tipos de trasmallo sobre una especie by-catch en la pesquería de langosta roja: el caso de Scorpaena scrofa
  • Elaboració d’un mètode de classificació automàtica de peixos mitjançant mètodes d’intel·ligència artificial
  • Estado de conservación y factores que afectan a la distribución de Dendropoma lebeche en Mallorca
  • Estructura poblacional, abundancia y distribución de Pelagia noctiluca durante la época estival en el mediterráneo noroeste
  • Estructura poblacional, dieta y pesca de Zeus faber (Linnaeus, 1758) en el mar Balear (Mediterráneo occidental)
  • Estudio del ciclo reproductivo del coral Dendrophyllia ramea (Anthozoa, Scleractinia) en el Mar de Alborán (Mediterráneo occidental)
  • Estudio del proceso de colonización del cangrejo azul americano, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 en las Islas Baleares
  • Influencia de la temperatura en la reproducción sexual de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile en el Mediterráneo oriental y occidental
  • Invasiones biológicas: Especies del género Hydroides (Annelida) en sistemas portuarios de la Isla de Mallorca
  • Microplàstics a les praderes de Posidonia oceanica del Mar Balear
  • Neustonic marine plastic debris and zooplankton in the coastal waters of the maritime- terrestrial national park of Cabrera Archipelago (North-western Mediterranean Sea)
  • Ontogenia y distribución espacial de éfiras de Pelagia noctiluca en el mar Balear
  • Phytoplankton major groups and harmful microalgae species in the Balearic Sea
  • Predictable anthropogenic food subsides and regime shift in a generalist seabird
  • Repeatability and personality differences between wild and captive-bred juveniles of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata
  • Response of Posidonia oceanica and its associated N2 fixation activities to elevated levels of CO2 and its interaction with temperature
  • Response of Posidonia oceanica and its associated N2 fixers to different iron and CO2 concentrations
  • Respuesta fisiológica de Mytilus galloprovincialis a la ingesta de plásticos en un sistema de acuicultura multitrófica integrada
  • Segregación espacial de dos especies crípticas de raya látigo (chondrycthies: dasyatis) en el archipiélago balear
  • Vulnerability of Mediterranean Sea Species to Climate Variation at Local and Regional Scales
  • Xyricthys novacula’s protection in the Pityusic islands: distribution, feeding, microplastics and parasites
  • “Caracterización de la utilización de carbono inorgánico y su relación con la disponibilidad de luz en macroalgas del Mediterráneo”
  • Análisis de microplásticos en el contenido estomacal de peces pelágicos y demersales de Galicia y el mar Cantábrico
  • Análisis interanual de la diversidad y distribución del zooplancton en el Delta del Ebro combinando datos acústicos y muestras biológicas
  • Behavioral fish responses to anthropogenic noise assessed trough acoustic telemetry
  • Biology of two species of elasmobranch batoid fishes, the skates Raja miraletus and the Mediterranean endemism Raja polystigma.
  • Breeding phenology in a marine top-predator: individual and population response to environmental variation
  • Dispersion of the invasive seaweed Halimeda incrassata and effect on native fish communities
  • Effects of micro- and nano- plastics and their sorbed additives in N2 fixing bacteria associated with the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica
  • Estudio de las biocenosis de foraminíferos de los altos submarinos muestreados en la campaña MEDWAVES (MEDiterranean out flow WAter and Vulnerable EcosystemS)
  • Estudio del impacto de basuras en la tortuga boba, Caretta caretta, en las Islas Baleares
  • Evaluación de la capacidad olfativa de las aves marinas para detectar depredadores en las áreas de reproducción: el caso del paíño europeo
  • Heavy metal biomonitorisation potential of the Small- spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula): analytical technique evaluation and interannual assessment
  • Potential effects of environmental enrichment on seabass behaviour: from group to individual level
  • Primera presencia y distribución de las especies exóticas Parasorites orbitoloides (Hofker, 1930) y Euthymonacha polita (Chapman, 1900): efectos sobre la comunidad de macroforaminíferos bentónicos del Mediterráneo Occidental
  • Reproductive biology of the striped red mullet, Mullus surmuletus, and implications for its management.
  • Spatial and temporal trends of Geryon longipes in the western Mediterranean Sea
  • Species-specific trace metals bioaccumulation in Tuna species.
  • Swimming behaviour of Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) in experimental sea-cages and influence of environmental enrichment.
  • Tamaño de especies bentónicas como indicador del estado de ecosistemas sometidos a la pesca de arrastre
  • Análisis paleoecológico de las asociaciones de foraminíferos bentónicos de ambientes marinos marginales del holoceno superior
  • Efectos del aumento de la temperatura sobre el metabolismo de praderas de Cymodocea nodosa afectadas por la macroalga invasora Halimeda incrassata
  • Estudi bionòmic de les comunitats de porifers del circalitoral i talús de Mallorca y Menorca
  • Evaluation of microplastic ingestion of marine species related to macroplastic litter in the Balearic Sea (Western Mediterranean)
  • Fish spatial regime shifts associated to non-native green beds of a newly-introduced tropical seaweed in the Mediterranean
  • Fotosíntesis y balance de carbono en praderas profundas de P. oceanica bajo la influencia de presiones antrópicas
  • Fundamentos para la mejora del proceso de recuperación de tortuga boba (Caretta caretta) en un Centro de Recuperación de Fauna Marina y la gestión de poblaciones silvestres.
  • Mapeado de la actividad pesquera del palangre de superficie a través del Sistema de Identificación Automática (AIS)
  • Mejora de los predictores de hábitat de atún rojo (Thunnus thynnus) a partir de datos de oceanografía operacional.
  • Phenotypic expressions of Serranus scriba at individual level: behavioural traits, oxygen consumption and morphology
  • Quality indicators and nutritional values of Octopus vulgaris in the Western Mediterranean Sea.
  • The Fitness Consequences of Fish Chronotypes in Exploited Environments
  • Biomarkers of physiological responses of Octopus vulgaris to different coastal environments in Mallorca
  • Study of the Movement of the "Cigala Mallorquina" (Scyllarides latus)