Sustainability Science

Introduction:

The study of sustainability science focuses on the ways in which human societies can operate over longer timescales, given the limitations of Earth’s raw materials and ecosystem services. Consistent with SMEA’s emphasis on human dimensions of global change, questions of sustainability are woven throughout SMEA courses, and throughout the research agendas of students and faculty alike. Relevant faculty research areas include management of common pool resources, the study of integrated human and ecological systems, and global change policy.

Faculty Active in this research area:

Please see individual faculty web pages for more about their work in this area.

Related SMEA courses:

  • SMEA 501: Integrated Marine Affairs Practice
  • SMEA 510: Topics in Marine Ecology
  • SMEA 550: Marine Biodiversity: Law, Science, and Policy
  • SMEA 591: Marine Science in the Coastal Zone

Examples of what MMA students do in this research area:

  • learn about processes that structure marine ecosystems, and how these processes are influenced by environmental change
  • gain statistical and analytical skills relevant to the study of marine ecosystems
  • explore the growing field of marine ecosystem management
  • learn how policies can be applied at the scale of ecosystems
  • learn how to apply resilience thinking to the management of marine and coastal ecosystems

Examples of related MMA student theses:

Hauptfeld, Kathrin. 2013. From introduced to invasive and iconic: an aquaculture oyster and social-ecological resilience in Puget Sound.

Muters, Clover. 2013. What happens when no one is watching: Ecological and insitutional considerations for the long term management of compensatory wetland mitigation.

Harris, Karin. 2010. Spatial and temporal variation in patterns of cruise ship-humpback whale encounters in and near Glacier Bay National Park.

Correa, Lindsay. 2009. An Evaluation of Ecological Responses to Hypoxia in Hood Canal and an Example of Regional Marine Ecosystem-based Management in Practice.

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