Venue: Offered by faculty of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON via Compressed Video)

Credit: Lecture (2.5 hrs per week) and 1 weekend field trip: 3 credits

When: Spring semester, Monday and Wednesday 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.

Instructors: Dr. Ed Chesney (lead instructor), Dr. Nancy Rabalais, Dr. Brian Roberts and Dr. Paul Sammarco

Short Course Description: Advanced topics in marine science focusing on the effects of human activities on the chemistry, biology, and ecology and ecosystem structure of coastal marine environments.

Detailed Course Description: Coastal oceans are among the most valuable and heavily impacted environments on earth. Human activities such as commercial and recreational fishing, water management, mariculture, land development, shipping, and mineral exploitation have significant ecological effects on coastal environments. In addition, human activities that occur far inland affect coastal oceans through runoff and atmospheric deposition. In this course, faculty of the LUMCON will present a series of lectures on the effects of human activities on the chemistry, biology, ecology and ecosystem structure and function within coastal marine environments. Topics describing recent changes in the coastal ocean and addressing their implications include: pollution, climate change, habitual change, hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, coral reefs, coastal fisheries, coastal zone management, and others. The course includes one weekend field trip to the DeFelice Marine Center in Cocodrie, where the instructors will use the local coastal environment to illustrate topics that have been discussed in lectures.

Course Prerequisites: Advanced undergraduate or graduate level with a background in science, or permission of the lead instructor (echesney@lumcon.edu).

Logistics: Compressed video is live and interactive; lectures presented at LUMCON will be received at a compressed video facility room on your campus. Registration procedures are the same as for other courses. Although the course will be taught by LUMCON faculty, you will earn full credit from your university. Course availability on your campus may be dependent on the number of registrants.