Michele Hoffman

The topics of physical, chemical, geological, and biological oceanography are discussed in this course. The ocean as a stew of nutrients (chemical oceanography) which feeds marine life (biological oceanography) and in turn is controlled by the shape and makeup of its container (geological oceanography) are considered. Additional topics include reef formation, fisheries, ocean circulation, seabed mining, coastal development and hazards, and offshore drilling.

The topics of physical, chemical, geological, and biological oceanography are discussed in this course. The ocean as a stew of nutrients (chemical oceanography) which feeds marine life (biological oceanography) and in turn is controlled by the shape and makeup of its container (geological oceanography) are considered. Additional topics include reef formation, fisheries, ocean circulation, seabed mining, coastal development and hazards, and offshore drilling.

The oceans and the animals that dwell there are a key resource to planet earth, providing food, medicine, the bases for sacred cultural customs, and much more. However, they are in trouble. This course is a survey of marine ecosystems and the organisms that make them up from diatoms and dinaflagellates, to seahorses and great white sharks. We will discuss the abysmal forecast for the future of the planetary sea and how we can change the outcome now.

Welcome to Water! This is a 3-credit introductory course on the science of water, it's associated resources, the sustainable use and management of the global water supply, and a conversation and dialogue about global water conflict. Through this course you will learn about the chemistry of water, its form and function, impacts of the quality and quantity of water on human lives and the environment, aspects of human survival that depend on water and the proper disposal of wastewater, the importance of conserving water, and the impact that future policies and economic changes might have on the availability of water in the US and around the world.

In this course students learn about the scientific roots and complexities of diagnosing the most pressing environmental crises of the twenty-first century, their ethical and legal impacts on society, and the potential to achieve sustainability for the future. We raise stimulating ethical and legal debates about topics such as depletion of oceanic resources, loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, depletion of topsoil, degradation of groundwater and more. This class is about critical thinking and incorporates team projects, debate, class discussion, and independent research to investigate the current state of the global condition and potential for a sustainable future.

In this course students learn about the scientific roots and complexities of diagnosing the most pressing environmental crises of the twenty-first century, their ethical and legal impacts on society, and the potential to achieve sustainability for the future. We raise stimulating ethical and legal debates about topics such as depletion of oceanic resources, loss of biodiversity, habitat destruction, depletion of topsoil, degradation of groundwater and more. This class is about critical thinking and incorporates team projects, debate, class discussion, and independent research to investigate the current state of the global condition and potential for a sustainable future.