GEOG 6435 - The Oceans and Us: Contemporary Marine Environmental Issues

The oceans cover more than two-thirds of our planet. Their resources help feed human populations, they facilitate global trade, and they help regulate global climate. Despite their importance to global systems, both human and natural, their role in the environmental health of the planet, global economies, and political conflict are often overlooked. Effective management of marine systems and the development of human adaptation strategies to address climate change, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and other marine environmental concerns requires a holistic look at causes and impacts these issues have on ecosystems and human populations over space and time. This course will examine contemporary issues in marine geography, including topics such as human impacts on marine environments, ocean-climate dynamics, as well as political and economic impacts of rising sea levels and opening of previously ice-restricted trade routes.