Overview Of Marine Biology

The Department of Marine Biology (DMB) was established along with the establishment of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences & Marine Biology (CESMB) in 1996. It is one of the unique scientific departments as it represents a distinguished field not only in Yemen but also regionally in terms of its specialized program, its association with marine environment, and the use of fishery resources and other marine biology. Today, DMB has just become a noticeable landmark of the Faculty and a scientific source which contributes to the development through the heavy burdens of studying, exploiting and developing the fishery wealth and marine biology which are considered an important source of national income. Yemeni coasts and the waters located within the exclusive economic zone, which extend to 200MN, are one of the richest fishery wealth of all kinds in the world. Especially, those ones in the Arabian Sea, which are characterized by their high primary and secondary productivity, as they are considered the main food especially for crustaceans, mollusca and other renewable natural resources which Yemeni waters are rich of. DMB was established in order to develop these resources, exploit them rationally and to take responsibility of graduating well qualified individuals who take the responsibility of the conservation, development and good use of these resources through enrolling in administrative and leading positions of the necessary researches and surveys.
In 2012, DMB was supported by Higher Education Quality Improvement Project (HEQIP/MoHESR) in Yemeni universities. The project was under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, and funded by the World Bank. The program is reflected in the development of the components and outputs of the DMB which enable the graduates to have knowledge, skills and professional practices that meet the needs of the labor market and to achieve the quality of outputs as well as obtain academic accreditation in the future. Therefore, the graduate is able to compete in the labor market locally, regionally and globally.
The Department received the first batch of students in 1997. Therefore, teaching process started at the beginning of the academic year 1997/1998. DMB grants Bachelor degree to its graduates. Throughout the past few years, 14 batches graduated, most of whom have joined governmental and non-governmental institutions related to the department’s field. Arabic language is the medium of instruction at the Department. The program depends on the regular method and the system of semesters. The academic year is divided into two semesters at the rate of 16 weeks per semester, while the full duration to finish the program is four years (8 semesters). The total credit hours of the program is 133 hours.