SIO295/295L:   Introduction to Marine Biodiversity and Conservation
Climate Change and Marine Ecosystems

The goal of this intensive course is to provide a basic conceptual framework in marine biodiversity and conservation in a manner that integrates scientific, conservation and social science perspectives. We are striving to engage and challenge the students from the start with a broad overview of the diversity of scope and major questions and problems in the field, and to provide an initial road map to help to guide their future study and research.

SIO295 - 8 units (Lecture) S/U only

SIO295L - 8 units (Lab, discussion and field work) S/U only
Class is limited to IGERT, CMBC Interdisciplinary PhD, MAS and Certificate students

M-F 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Lectures: 4500 Hubbs Hall; Labs: 3300 Hubbs Hall)

NEXT CLASS:  tentative dates
Orientation July 6 & 7
Class begins July 8 and ends September 2

Syllabus 2009 (pdf)

Comments from some of our students:
"...genius in its design.  The quality of guest speakers is staggering"
"...an amazing experience for me"
"The best course I have taken in my life"
"The course is great and the discussions, field trips, class workshops are something hard to find anywhere else"
"I learned more in this course than I thought was possible to learn in two months"

From the Boston Globe

Required reading

Economics: A very short introduction
By: Partha Dasgupta

Fundamental Processes in Ecology: An Earth Systems Approach (two copies available for loan at CMBC)
By: D.M. Wilkinson

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
By: Mark Kurlansky

Papers for preliminary lectures during orientation
German Advisory Council on Global Change(WBGU) 2006.  The Future Oceans - Warming Up, Rising High, Turning Sour.  Special Report - pdf

Nordhaus, William D. 1993. Reflections on the Economics of Climate Change. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 7(4):11-25

Oreskes, Naomi (2007) The Long Consensus On Climate Change.  Washington Post - pdf

Typical course outline
Week 0     Orientation
Week 1     Marine Biodiversity
Week 2     Physical and Biological Oceanography
Research Cruise on the Sproul I  (Photos by Lauren Washington)
Week 3    Ecology & Ecological Systems
Week 4    Paleobiology and climate
Research Cruise on the Sproul  (Photos by Greg Rouse  / Photos by Lauren Washington)
Week 5      Economics I
Week 6      Economics II
Week 7      Law, Governance, Politics and Policy
Week 8     NGOs & Environmental Ethics
Week 9     Communications I and Environmental Ethics
Week 10   Final Project Completion  (Instructions)