Oregon Coast Field Course

Florida to Oregon

The Oceanography and Environmental Science programs at Florida Tech are joining forces to take a group of undergraduate and graduate students to the Oregon Coast for an intense, two-week field course: Pacific Coastal Environments. While Florida is the perfect place to study most aspects of marine biology, oceanography, and coastal environmental issues, there are certain important concepts, critical for students to grasp, which arise from cold water habitats, cliff-sides overlooking the sea, and rocky intertidal zones. For this reason, the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems has implemented a pilot course to contribute to the production of broadly experienced, well-rounded students with some training and exposure on an alternative, disparate coast. This follows a model used successfully by some major universities offering biological oceanography, or related programs, and giving time to students on multiple coasts. Unfortunately, the course is full for 2012! However, all of Florida Tech can follow along with the field course experience by tuning into this blog from May 5-19, 2012.  The field experience will include multiple boat trips and time spent at state parks and a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR).  Key coastal environments to be explored include the rocky intertidal, mudflats, sandy beaches, and riparian watersheds.