Sustainability: Ocean-Based Solutions (SOS)
Examining how people, countries, and societies are growing ocean-based tools to address the most pressing problems facing our world
The Duke Immerse program, Sustainability: Ocean-Based Solutions (SOS), is designed to promote an integrated educational and research experience, modeled on the broader Duke Climate Commitment, towards enabling undergraduate students to take career paths or make life choices that seek ocean-based sustainability solutions for major societal needs: food and energy. The primary goal of the program is to examine how people, countries and societies are growing ocean-based tools to address the most pressing problems facing our world.
This program integrates 3 human engineered–solutions that are showing great promise to enhance global sustainability:
Aquaculture, the rearing of plants or animals in aquatic environments, now accounts for more production than wild-caught fisheries. While global fisheries have remained stagnant for decades, aquaculture continues to grow ~8% per year and it is increasingly focused on sustainable production. Aquaculture provides an ocean-based solution for increasing food production.
Offshore Energy from wind turbines is increasingly becoming a major source of sustainable energy. The technology is growing >10% per year and wind energy generates more than all other non-hydroelectric renewal energy sources combined. Offshore wind turbines provide an ocean-based solution for energy production.
Marine Policy or marine affairs, economics, ocean governance and management, spatial planning, and other sub-disciplines are applied to problems and opportunities arising out of human use of the oceans. Unlike policy and regulation for terrestrial-based activities, marine policy is of particular importance in the development of ocean-based solutions because coastal and ocean waters within state boundaries are typically state (and not privately) owned and thus must directly compete with many other potential uses.
Please note: Students will be on-site at the Duke Marine Lab for the semester (when they are not traveling for the field experience). Information about the Duke Marine Lab can be found here.
FAST FACTS:
Locations: Duke Marine Lab (Beaufort, NC); France/Belgium/Faroe Islands (Denmark)
Term: Fall 2024
Dates: Travel Schedule (~Oct. 7-20)
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Academic Themes: Marine Science, Environmental Science and Policy Studies, Sustainability Engagement
Eligibility: Students must have taken WRITING 101; non-Duke students matriculated at Duke are eligible for this program.
Program Fee
Courses
Course numbers: ENVIRON 319A /MARSCI 319A
Curriculum codes: NS, STS, W
Course Description: This course describes the major environmental, social and economic drivers of increasing global aquaculture, with a focus on marine systems. Quantitative evaluation and comparison of the range of species for aquaculture, locations where operations occur, operational aspects including environmental impacts and management considerations are all explored. Investigation of alternative approaches and potential future areas for aquaculture expansion as well as social, economic and technical barriers to implementation are also discussed. This is a writing based course (W) and while students perform analyses in class, most of the graded work is in the form of short papers or other written discussion of topics enhancing communication skills
Instructor: Johnson
Course numbers: MARSCI 323A
Curriculum codes: NS, STS
Course Description: This course exposes students to the full suite of offshore renewable energy in use and under development worldwide. It helps students evaluate the tradeoffs associated with development of offshore renewable energy, including contrasting traditional energy sources, e.g., offshore oil/gas. Students learn to assess the potential impacts (positive and negative) of offshore renewable energy on offshore wildlife and to critically evaluate environmental impact statements, permitting applications, government agency guidelines pertinent to offshore renewable energy development.
Instructor: Nowacek
Course numbers:
ENVIRON 286A /PUBPOL 281A /MARSCI 286A
Curriculum codes: EI, SS, STS
Course Description: This course tackles an evolving field that involves the various courses of action to influence decisions, actions, and other ocean related matters. Because it involves influencing human attitudes and behavior, developing marine policy is complex. The course addresses the question of how we design effective policies to accommodate these various interests. The course engages complex topics and is about marine policy in a broad sense and includes a substantial emphasis on policy analysis.
Instructor: Gill
Course numbers: TBD
Curriculum codes: TBD
Course Description: Independent Study projects are a signature element of the Duke Marine Lab experience, and here it represents an important component of the Immerse package. The IS ‘class’ provides real world experience for students in the fields of marine and sustainability science research, and permits students to become familiar with techniques and approaches used in the laboratory, in silico, and field while being an active participant in the scientific method. It gives students the chance to explore an area of interest more deeply by performing novel research in one focus area of ocean sustainability. The IS experience also creates accountability and ownership for the area of study. Core Immerse faculty (Johnson, Nowacek, and Murray) will provide potential IS projects that can be done individually or in small teams, but other marine lab faculty or partners (e.g., NOAA) can also mentor these students.
Instructors: Core Immerse faculty (Johnson, Nowacek, and Gill)
Faculty
Zackary Johnson, Ph.D.
(Lead Faculty Director) Juli Plant Grainger Associate Professor of Biological Oceanography and Marine Biotechnology, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment & Duke Marine Lab
Doug Nowacek, Ph.D.
Randolph K. Repass and Sally-Christine Rodgers University Distinguished Professor of Conservation Technology in Environment and Engineering, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment
David Gill, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment & Duke Marine Lab
Program contacts: Email Zackary Johnson (zackary.johnson@duke.edu) or Duke Immerse (immerse@duke.edu) for more information.
Apply
All students who are interested, regardless of documentation or citizenship status, are encouraged to apply; accommodations and opportunities will be made for students who are unable to travel. We welcome Durham-based DKU students and UNC Robertson Scholars to apply. Please email the Duke Immerse director, Susan Pratt (pratt.susan@duke.edu) if you are interested in participating. Complete the online application using MyExperientialEd.
