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EN
Courses
Below is a brief description of the undergraduate courses offered by
Nicholas School faculty. For a more information on any courses, check
the Online Course Synopsis
Handbook.
Environmental Sciences and Policy Courses (ENVIRON)
listed below
Marine Lab courses (ENVIRON/BIOLOGY) listed
below
Earth
and Ocean Sciences (EOS) Courses
ENVIRON 25: Introduction to
Environmental Sciences and Policy
ENVIRON 25 will offer an introduction to the study of environmental
sciences and policy through exploration of basic environmental principles
in the life, physical, and social sciences. Emphasis on understanding
how the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithospere, cryosphere, and biosphere
function, and how these spheres interact with human consumption, production
and technological patterns and processes. Field trips are made to a
local site and to the Duke University Marine Laboratory. (NS) QID, STS
ENVIRON 49S: First-Year Seminars
Each semester, the Nicholas School offers a variety of first-year seminars.
Past topics have included: Sustainable Ecosystems and Society, the History
of Conservation in Latin American Tropics, Understanding Global Change
and Human Health and the Environment. Check the Online
Course Synopsis Book for current semester listings.
ENVIRON 101: Integration of Environmental
Sciences and Policy
This course applies basic principles from ecology, resource
economics and policy, statistics, earth sciences, and ethics to local,
regional, and global environmental issues. Employing three in-depth
case studies, the course explores the complex interactions that characterize
environmental problems. Course objectives include: exposing students
to interdisciplinary approaches to environmental science, policy, and
management; enabling students to develop problem solving skills to apply
to environmental issues; and improving the technical writing capability
of students. (NS, SS) STS, W
ENVIRON 121: Climate Change: A Global Perspective
Introduction to the scientific basis for prediction of global environmental
change with emphasis on change in surface temperature, sea level, precipitation
and tropical cyclone activity. As an analytical exercise, students input
temperature data sets from the Bermuda weather service and do basic
analysis of Bermuda temperature anomalies over time. (Given at Bermuda.)
(NS) QID
ENVIRON 122S: Climate-Related Hazards and Humanity
The roles of science, politics, and business in quantifying
and managing risks associated with climate-related hazards such as hurricanes.
(Given at Bermuda.) (NS)
ENVIRON 125: Remote Sensing and Long-term Environmental Monitoring
Introduction to the theory and practice of environmental monitoring.
Ocean biogeochemical cycles, tropical ecosystems, monitoring, and air
and water pollution impact assessment and monitoring. Individual project
required, the output of which is a grant proposal to do future monitoring
work on a specific topic; project includes a review and reporting of
the relevant literature, analysis of existing data sets on the topic
and the experimental plan for the project. (NS) QID, R
ENVIRON 126S: Field Methods of Earth/Environmental
Sciences
Students learn a number of environmental field techniques hands-on through
a series of field trips. Introduction to basic field methods used in
the earth and environmental sciences. Field investigations focus on
topics such as groundwater and surface water movements, soil chemistry
and identification, topographic and geologic mapping, the atmosphere/soil
interface, and plant identification and distributions. Design of a field
investigation, collection of data to address a specific goal, and interpretation
and reporting of the results. Emphasis on learning to report field results
in the format of scientific publications. Visits to five local field
sites. This class fulfills the Field Study requirement of the EN A.B.
degree. (NS) QID, STS
ENVIRON 129. Environmental Science and Policy of the Tropics
Investigates major environmental issues facing tropical nations
using concepts from the natural and physical sciences, the social sciences,
and resource management. Topics include: climatic and biogeographical
patterns, trends in human population size and demography, historical
and contemporary issues in resource use and conservation, and sociological
and ethical concerns regarding the source and distribution of economic
wealth. (Given at Costa Rica) (NS, SS) EI, STS
ENVIRON 132S: Oceanography and Marine Biology
Topics including the Iron Hypothesis, toxic algal blooms and UV
light considered through readings in the primary literature and student
presentations. Emphasis on critical analysis of methodology, data analysis,
and conclusions in primary peer-reviewed literature. (Given at Bermuda.)
Prerequisite: introductory biology. (NS) QID
ENVIRON 133S: Molecular Approaches to Questions of Physiology,
Ecology, and Evolution in the Marine Environment
The techniques of molecular biology can be used to address previously
intractable physiological, ecological, and evolutionary questions. Examples
from the subcellular to global scale will be taken from classic and
current readings from the primary scientific literature. Each participant
in the course will present a critical analysis of the literature on
a chosen subject. (Given at Bermuda.) (NS)
ENVIRON 140: A Scientist's Perspective on Environmental Principles,
Policy, and Legislation
Bermuda's ecological, economic, sociopolitical systems, and
environmental legislation as both a case study and as a comparative
microcosm. Topics include: ecosystem conservation, natural resource
management, pollution and waste management, and energy conservation
and management. (Given at Bermuda.) (NS, SS) QID, STS
ENVIRON 149: United States Environmental
Policy
This course covers a wide variety of environmental policy issues and
concepts in the United States. It considers U.S. environmental history,
the structure of the U.S. environmental movement, U.S. environmental
policymaking institutions, most major U.S. environmental legislation
(NEPA, CAA, CWA, TSCA, FIFRA, OSHA, RCRA, CERCLA, ESA, and the Wilderness
Act) and a number of specific environmental controversies, including
the use of risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis, the role of business
in protecting the environment, hog farms and non-point source pollution,
the production and disposal of waste, environmental justice, property
rights, biodiversity, wilderness, ecological restoration, trade and
the environment, and sustainable development. (SS) EI, STS, W
ENVIRON 160: Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology
This course is designed as an overview of the fate, transport and biological
effects of chemicals in the environment. It focuses on four types of
archetypical chemical pollutants.. Topics include characterization of
pollutants; the chemistry of natural waters, soils and atmosphere; chemical
transport between compartments; chemical and biological transformation;
and the toxicology and molecular biological responses associated with
chemical exposure. Case studies will be incorporated that focus on the
impact of chemical pollutants on large-scale ecosystems and human health.
(NS) QID, STS
ENVIRON 181: Special Topics
ENVIRON 182.01: Business and the Environment
This survey course is designed to provide students with an understanding
of key themes, debates, and concepts in the study of business and the
environment. The course provides an historical overview of the role
of business in society, focusing on the evolution of management tools,
policies, and institutions to protect the environment. The course employs
firm and industry-level case studies to communicate business problems
and perspectives. (SS) STS, W
ENVIRON 182.02: Population and the
Environment
This special topics course will utilize readings and class discussion
to focus on the following issues: 1) The historical debate regarding
the link between population increase and resource depletion and environmental
degradation, 2) recent evidence and argument on the important role of
technology in mediating effects of population size on resource depletion
or environmental degradation, and 3) general arguments and case studies
illustrating the unanticipated consequences of interventions to control
population growth, limit resource depletion or reduce environmental
degradation. (SS) STS
ENVIRON 185: Senior Capstone Course
This class offers EN majors a chance to analyze a contemporary and often
complex environmental issue at an advanced level. The topic of the course
is determined each semester. The most recent capstone course was taught
on endocrine disruptors in the environment. (NS, SS) R, STS
ENVIRON 209/(BIOLOGY 109): Conservation
Biology and Policy
Introduction to the key concepts of ecology and policy relevant to conservation
issues at the population to ecosystems level. Focus on the origin and
maintenance of biodiversity and conservation applications from both
the biology and policy perspectives (for example, endangered species,
captive breeding, reserve design, habitat fragmentation, ecosystem restoration/rehabilitation).
Open to undergraduates only under BIO 109. (Given at Beaufort).
ENVIRON 218L/(BIOLOGY 218L): Barrier Island Ecology
An integration of barrier island plant and animal ecology within the
context of geomorphological change and human disturbance. Topics include:
barrier island formation and migration, plant and animal adaptations,
species interactions, dune succession, maritime forests, salt marshes,
sea level rise, conservation policy, and restoration ecology. Field
trips to many of the major North Carolina barrier islands. Strong emphasis
on field observation and independent research. Only open to undergraduates
under BIO 218L. (Given at Beaufort.) (NS) QID, R
ENVIRON 226/(BIOLOGY 126). Marine Mammals
Ecology, social organization, behavior, acoustic communication, and
management issues. Focused on marine mammals in the southeastern United
States (for example, bottlenose dolphin, right whale, West Indian manatee).
Only open to undergraduates under BIO 126. (Given at Beaufort.)
ENVIRON 226L/(BIOLOGY 126L). Marine Mammals
Laboratory version of ENV 226. Laboratory exercises consider social
organization and acoustic communication in the local bottlenose dolphin
population. Only open to undergraduates under BIO 126L. (Given
at Beaufort.)
ENVIRON 227L/(BIOLOGY 125L): Biology and Conservation of
Sea Turtles
Biology including the anatomy, physiology, behavior, life histories,
and population dynamics of sea turtles will be linked to conservation
issues and management. Focus is on threatened and endangered sea turtle
species, with special attention to science and policy issues in U.S.
waters. Lectures as well as an emphasis on laboratory and field experience
with the animals and with their habitat requirements. Staff will lecture
and lead discussions on sea turtle assessment and recovery efforts,
fishery-turtle interactions, population modeling and state/national/international
management efforts. This course will be offered in Beaufort during second
summer session only. Students are encouraged to enroll for BIO 109/ENV
209, Conservation Biology and Policy, concurrently. Only open to
undergraduates under BIO 125L. (Given at Beaufort.) (NS) STS
ENVIRON 229L/(BIOLOGY 155L): Biochemistry of Marine Animals
Functional, structural, and evolutionary relationships of biochemical
processes of importance to marine organisms. Only open to undergraduates
under BIO 155L. (Given at Beaufort.)
ENVIRON 253L/(BIOLOGY 156L): Sensory Physiology and Behavior
of Marine Animals
Sensory physiological principles with emphasis on visual and chemical
cues. Laboratories will use behavior to measure physiological processes.
Only open to undergraduates under BIO 156L. (Given at Beaufort.)
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