Ecology and biological evolution: fields of study, methodological approaches, time and spatial scales of the investigation. Characteristics of the coastal strip: productivity, biodiversity and anthropogenic pressure and conservation problems. The tidal zones: physical characteristics, biological communities and adaptations to the different zones of the tidal belt. Causes and consequences of tidal zone zoning: tides, wave motion, coastal currents, role of physical factors in the formation of vertical gradients and adaptations in response to environmental variations. Biological interactions and community structure. Variations of the coastline. Evolutionary history of the Mediterranean basin and its coasts. Populations: structure, diversity and demographic changes. Introduction to the integrated management of the coastal strip.

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