本課程介紹及討論海洋生物多樣性保育的相關理論及實務應用。內容包括四大單元：（一）海洋族群生物學及保育，（二）海洋生物的存續危機，（三）海洋生態系保育，（四）國際海洋保育策略及措施。單元主題及內容如下：
1. Why marine conservation biology?
2. A brief history of marine conservation.
3. Implications of marine population biology to conservation.
4. The Allee effect in the sea.
5. Extinction risk of marine species.
6. Behavioral approaches to marine conservation.
7. The impacts of eutrophication or nutrient overenrichment.
8. Bioinvasions in marine ecosystems.
9. Marine diseases and conservation.
10. Multiple stressors in marine ecosystems.
11. Global fisheries and marine conservation.
12. The impacts of bottom habitat destruction.
13. Evolutionary impacts of fishing on target species.
14. Marine protected areas and biodiversity conservation.
15. Marine reserve function and design.
16. The role of legal regimes in marine conservation.
17. Uncertainty in marine management.
18. Restoration of marine populations and ecosystems.
19. Toward a sea ethic.