Major Requirements

Students in the Marine & Coastal Ecology Concentration focus on the major components and ecological interactions of marine and coastal ecosystems. Through applied learning and research, students gain the skills necessary to develop a sustainable balance between the unique environmental, recreational, cultural and economic opportunities in the Monterey Bay region. Students develop knowledge of how populations and communities function within ecosystems, and how ecosystems link with other Earth systems at local, regional and global scales. Through lab and field experience, students apply techniques of experimental design, data acquisition, analysis, and presentation that provide them with the skills needed to monitor and analyze ecological interactions in real-world, human-influenced settings. Students are encouraged to interact with other Monterey Bay institutions, such as the Moss Landing Marine Labs, to take advantage of additional local expertise in marine and coastal ecology. Graduates of the Marine and Coastal Ecology concentration are prepared for a variety of career pathways in the public and private sector as marine scientists, environmental consultants and many others. Graduates are also poised to continue their education via graduate studies and research in ecology, environmental science and related fields.

This emphasis is for students who wish to use their education to prepare them for personal and professional lives as ethical, effective, engaged members of the civic and political lives of their communities. More specifically, this emphasis is for students who wish to use science and technology as powerful tools to make their communities more just places. Social and environmental resources are not evenly distributed in our society. Some communities bear more than their fair share of environmental burdens such as pesticide contamination, toxic waste facilities or lack of access to parks. These communities may also have less power in making important environmental decisions that affect citizens’ lives. Social ills such as poverty, hunger, homelessness and unequal access to education have important environmental consequences. Students who study Science & Social Justice will analyze causes and solutions to these real world problems, and will work towards solving problems while they are studying them. This course of study can prepare students for many careers, including government, advocacy work, law, public policy, environmental health or medicine.

The mission of the environmental education emphasis is to enable students to understand and describe complex environmental concepts for the purpose of bridging the gap between scientific and nonscientific communities. Students in this emphasis will understand the methods of inquiry scientists use to analyze environmental problems and understand other ways of analyzing environmental problems that complement the scientific approach. In addition, they will be experienced working in diverse, multicultural communities. This emphasis differs from many environmental education programs by requiring students to become technologically competent in one of the following areas: multimedia, mass communication outreach or GIS/GPS/Remote Sensing.