FW 426/526: Coastal Ecology and Resource Management

Course Overview

Serving as an undergraduate capstone and a key experiential course for graduate students, this hybrid field course offers rigorous scientific instruction with flexible delivery—allowing students to complete the course either in person at Hatfield or fully online. During a required three-day field excursion to the central Oregon Coast, students study marine and estuarine ecosystems, focusing on data and methodologies that inform management and conservation. Students then apply this knowledge to design and conduct a research project under the supervision of a faculty or agency mentor. This course helps students become proficient in directed scientific inquiry, while exposing them to the challenges associated with authentic research, emphasizing the need for reevaluation and mental resilience. These skills, along with the opportunity to develop valuable professional contacts, will help prepare students for careers in fisheries and wildlife science. 

Visit classes.oregonstate.edu for more information and to register.