MES Electives
Electives offer students the opportunity to study a specific subject in more depth than is possible in core programs.
Examples of elective courses regularly offered in the MES program are listed below. MES students may also participate in MPA electives and apply the credits earned toward their MES elective requirements. Additionally, students can take up to eight elective credits of course work consisting of internships and individual contracts. Students should consult with the director or their faculty advisor in selecting their elective courses.
The electives listed as examples below are a few of the many available. Each year's offerings change somewhat. Other electives may be offered that will address issues of current interest. Electives are taken for four credits, or quarter-hours, unless otherwise noted, and usually meet ne night each week with field trips scheduled on weekends.
The Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms - Gerardo Chin-Leo- CRN 10314
Wednesdays 6-10 pm, possibly one Saturday field trip, Sem II D2109
Focus: Microalgae account for most of the plant biomass and production in aquatic systems. Recently, coastal waters worldwide have experienced an apparent increase in the occurrence of large concentrations (blooms) of harmful algal species. Blooms of toxic algal species (e.g. red tides) can cause direct mortality of fish and shellfish. Other organisms, including humans, can be indirectly affected through the consumption of contaminated seafood. Large blooms of non-toxic species can also have negative impacts on aquatic habitats by shading benthic plants and by interfering with the activities of other organisms. Furthermore, if these algal blooms are not grazed or diluted, their decomposition can deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water causing the mortality of plants and animals. This program will study the taxonomy and ecology of harmful algal species, the environmental factors controlling the abundance and productivity of aquatic algae, and the possible role of human activities in causing the increase of harmful algal blooms. In addition, we will examine the efforts to monitor harmful algal blooms, and to control their impact on fisheries and public health.
Energy in the Pacific Northwest: A Model for the Future? - Kathleen Saul- CRN 10452
Mondays 6-10 pm, Sem II D2109
Focus: This survey course will examine energy in the Pacific Northwest, past, present, and possible future, through the eyes of professionals and practitioners in various energy fields. After a brief introduction to the basics of energy-the vocabulary, the units of measurement, and how energy is produced and distributed-the class will explore the different energy options now being employed in the Northwest utilities as well as some still under investigation. The class will mix weekly readings and seminar with guest lectures and a final position paper to help students better understand the exciting diversity of energy issues facing the Pacific Northwest.
GIS and Spatial Analysis - Greg Stewart - Course syllabus- CRN 10315
Wednesdays 6-10 pm, Sem II D1105
Focus: This is an introductory course to GIS. We will focus on the structure of and analysis of spatial data, using GIS as a tool to conduct spatial analysis. Students will learn the basics behind GIS through lecture and labs. The class will be primarily hands on, with a lab every week, on-line course work, and a final spatial analysis project. Student will be given a reduced version copy of ArcGIS to carry out work at home, and time will be available in the CAL for class and group work. Students will work in groups for the spatial analysis project, and it will entail accessing and analyzing spatial data at an advanced level, and presenting findings to the class. Students should be capable in Windows file management.
Winter 2010
Ecovention: Urban Horticulture & Ecological Restoration- Frederica Bowcutt- Wednesdays 6-10 PM- CRN 20233
This program introduces students to environmental challenges that face the region that may be interesting enough to them to pursue as a research subject to seek creative solutions. My intention is to help students question the common dualistic thinking that our only choices are to exploit land to meet our material needs and preserve a small percentage in parks to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem health. We will explore how that thinking not only limits our choices unnecessarily. It is false. Ultimately exploitative extractive is not sustainable and parks aren't entirely protected from the negative environmental consequences of land uses outside parks. The sudden oak death epidemic is a classic example of the latter, where some of the hardest hit places in California are state parks. We need to figure out how to use nature to meet our material needs while enhancing ecosystem health.
As a learning community we will explore the following questions: How can we understand landscapes as the products of human’s engagement with the natural world? How can we move beyond the polarized romantic concepts of humans and nature and beyond the economic category of nature as resource? What philosophical, conceptual, and practical concepts can help us create sustainable landscapes that allow us to live well with each other and the natural world? We will explore these questions through readings in the following disciplines: landscape architecture, horticulture, ecology, geography, and environmental history. Through case study work, we will explore the benefits and challenges of urban horticulture and ecological restoration work in our area and link it to global environmental issues of sustainability.
Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity- Tim Quinn- Mondays 6-10 PM- CRN 20246
This course focuses on the biology that underlies conservation and restoration issues around the world. There are many ways to approach the study of conservation and restorationbiology and I will mostly emphasize the scientific elements of these disciplines. I also will provide you with a practitioner's perspective of the relationship of biology and policy from work done in Washington State. This course will introduce you to the literature, controversies, and promising methodoligies for a variety of conservation/restoration biology applications. In addition, I will invite a number of local experts to come and provide persoectives on their work in applied fields of conservation. We will read, discuss, and write on a variety of topics. Your assignments include written and oral exercises, and peer evaluations aimed at helping you develop your ideas and increas your ability to communicate those ideas. I want to introduce you to the principal concepts and methodologies of conservation and restoration biology, enrich your understanding of the scientific contributions necessary for solving conservation problems, foster your understanding of the scientific process in general and as applied in conservation settings, and further your powers of analysis and ability to communicate effectively.