Coastal Marine Resources Management Specialization

Specialization Definition

The Coastal Marine Resources Management specialization (CMRM) trains MESM students to address scientific and socio-economic issues related to coastal marine ecosystems. Coastal marine ecosystems provide a plethora of essential goods and services, including fisheries, navigation space, nutrient and carbon cycling, geochemical products, disposal space for natural and anthropogenic wastes, recreation, and aesthetic pleasure. Coastal marine goods and services are produced through complex interactions among physical, chemical, and biological components that occur within a multitude of coastal habitats, including municipalities, watersheds, intertidal rocky shores and beaches, bays, wetlands, estuaries, kelp forests, coral reefs, and the nearshore pelagic environment. Worldwide, societies are faced with the serious challenges of developing and implementing novel approaches for managing coastal resources for long-term sustainability, and conserving the structure and function of marine ecosystems. CMRM students will be trained to meet these challenges through an interdisciplinary education in marine science, policy, law, quantitative analysis, and modeling. Students from the CMRM specialization will find employment in both the public (federal laboratories; state and local governments; universities) and private (consulting firms; industry) sectors.

The University of California, Santa Barbara provides a unique academic setting for the CMRM specialization. Many major breakthroughs in basic and applied marine science and related disciplines in socio-economics have been made by the faculty and staff of the Bren School, the Departments of (1) Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology (EEMB), (2) Environmental Science (ES), and (3) Geography (GEOG), the Marine Sciences Institute, and the Ocean and Coastal Policy Center. Research by UCSB marine scientists, economists, and sociologists is conducted both locally in the Santa Barbara Channel and worldwide in a diversity of marine ecosystems, including coral reef systems, deep-sea hydrothermal vents, and polar seas. CMRM students will be encouraged to interact with faculty and graduate students of the various marine-related departments and programs on campus.

Course Work

MESM students tend to have widely varying backgrounds in marine resource-related subjects. The curriculum outlined below is a guideline. A CMRM student's program of study (POS) should be worked out with the CMRM advisor.

Scientific research, economic analysis, policy formulation, and quantitative modeling are the fundamental CMRM skills. All CMRM students are strongly encouraged to take the following courses, unless they can demonstrate equivalent competence:

ESM 260: Applied Marine Ecology (Lenihan)

And at least one of the following courses:

ESM 257: Coastal Marine Policy (McGinnis)

ESM 259: The Role of Law in Coastal Zone Management (Osherenko)

Understanding the complex nature of coastal marine ecological processes as well as most policy and economic issues, requires knowledge of oceanographic processes. CMRM students will be required to take one course each in two fields of oceanography, including physical, chemical, biological (i.e., open ocean), and/or geological oceanography.

ESM 254: Coastal Marine Ecosystem Processes (Lenihan) [Biennial]

EEMB 243: Biological Oceanography

EEMB 142A: Aquatic Communities

Geol 266: Chemical Oceanography

Geol 276: Geological Oceanography

Geog 263: Introduction to Physical Oceanography

With guidance from the advisor, students select four to five additional courses appropriate for the specialization and their particular background, goals, and interests. Since CMRM students tend to have widely varying backgrounds in CMRM-related subjects a student’s program of study should be worked out with the CMRM advisor guidance. The following ESM courses are often included in CMRM students’ programs of study and should be considered for inclusion.

ESM 211: Applied Population Ecology (Kendall)

ESM 213: Ecological Effects of Pollutants (Marwood)

ESM 217: Environmental Restoration (Lenihan) [Biennial]

ESM 220: Ecological Risk Assessment (Marwood)

ESM 222: Fate and Transport of Pollutants (Keller)

ESM 232: Environmental Modeling (Costello) [Biennial]

ESM 242: Natural Resources Economics and Policy (Costello)

ESM 241: Environmental Politics and Policymaking (McGinnis)

ESM 243: Environmental Policy Analysis (Kolstad)

ESM 244: Valuing Environmental Quality (Bento) [Biennial]

ESM 248: Environmental Institutions (Young)

ESM 235: Watershed Analysis (Dunne) [Biennial]

ESM 253: Lakes and Wetlands (Melack)

ESM 270: Conservation Planning and Priority Setting (Kareiva)

ESM 283: Environmental Negotiation (Ramus)

ESM 286: Environmental Risk (Moore)

In addition, there may be some opportunistic offerings that may be valuable for students in CMRM depending upon the specific topic of focus.

ESM 430, 435, & 436: Workshops in Environmental Science and Management

ESM 595A-Z: Seminar in Environmental Science and Management

ESM 595I: Seminar in Marine Resource Management

ESM 294. 296, 297 & 299: Advanced Topics

There are a number of courses in other departments that may be for students pursuing a CMRM program of study. Most importantly, students should assess course offerings in EEMB, Geography, Geology, and the Interdepartmental Marine Science Program. The following courses in other departments are most often included in CMRM students’ programs of study:

EEMB 142BC: Environmental Processes in Oceans and Lakes

EEMB 279: Modeling Environmental and Ecological Change

EEMB 244: Marine Microbiology

EEMB 249: Mariculture

EEMB 276/276L: Advanced Biostats

Geog 236: Remote Sensing of the Ocean

Geog 274/274L Introduction to Geographical Data Analysis

A sample program of study (POS) can be found at:

This is only an example to help guide students in developing their own POS. The specific courses included will differ depending on an individual’s unique background, interests, and goals!

Career Opportunities

Public Agencies / Private Companies / Non-Governmental Organizations
International
UNEP
Federal
National Marine Fisheries Service
NOAA/National Marine Sanctuaries
National Park Service
US Fish and Wildlife
Sea Grant
Regional Fishery Councils
State
Coastal Comissions, EPAs, Transportation Depts, Fish and Game, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, State Conservancies, Public Utilities
County and Local
Planning and Development Depts / Environmental consulting firms specializing in marine impact assessment risk assessment, regional assessment, site conservation and restoration planning, watershed use planning
Coastal Developers
Oil and Gas Companies
Energy Companies
Timber companies
7 / The Nature Conservancy
World Wildlife Fund
International Coral Reef Conservation
National Resource Defense Council
Defenders of Wildlife
Center for Marine Conservation
Industry Based Fishery Councils
Greenpeace

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