Marine Studies
Marine Studies
Marine studies is the interdisciplinary study of the oceans and the life in and dependent on them. The Marine Studies Program offers courses in marine biology, oceanography, and field studies. Marine scientists study interactions between the oceans and the life within as well as interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, and land. Marine studies laboratory courses offer students the opportunity to interact with living organisms, explore marine-related resources, and apply their knowledge through practical field sampling activities at local beaches.
Courses in the Marine Studies Program may be applied as general education credits in science or towards the AS in Coastal Environmental Studies. Students should consult with a counselor and refer to assist.org to see how marine studies courses will best suit their academic needs.
Come get your feet wet in Marine Studies.
This course provides an introduction to the different types of life in the ocean including things that swim, drift, or are associated with the seafloor. Students will learn about the process of doing science, where to find different types of marine life, and the reproductive strategies and characteristics associated with life in the ocean. We will look at different locations and communities within the ocean from the beach to the deep waters and explore the connections between what happens on land and life in the sea.
This laboratory course provides an introduction to the variety of ocean life with an emphasis on local examples. Students will have the opportunity to interact with live and preserved specimens while learning techniques of scientific observation, use of equipment, and data analysis.
This course is a broad survey of the field of oceanography. Topics include geology and geography of the ocean basins and coastlines, plate tectonics, waves, currents, tides, properties of seawater, methods of oceanographic exploration, and an introduction to ocean life.
This course is the laboratory to accompany Introduction to Oceanography lecture. Topics include introduction to ocean/atmosphere relationships, interpretation of bathymetric maps, applied methods of measurement, and descriptive analysis of the physical ocean, including beaches, ocean currents, waves, and water properties.
This field course is an introduction to topics in marine biology related to current resource management issues in this region. Trips to natural areas where biological, geological, and oceanographic resources can be observed will be combined with related information about resource management at the federal, state, and local levels.
This field course is an introduction to topics in marine geology related to current resource management issues in this region. Trips to areas where geological, biological, and oceanographic resources can be observed will be combined with related information about resource management and the requirements and applications of federal, state, and local laws and regulations related to marine resource management.
This course is designed to prepare students with existing background knowledge of marine systems for further studies in Marine Sciences. Students will have the opportunity to develop and conduct a research project on an ocean related topic that reflects their interests. Project findings may be presented in scientific poster format, video, written protocol, oral presentation, or research publication.
Division
Math and Science
- Phone: (805) 678-5201
- Office Location: Condor Hall
Full-time Faculty
Dr. Shannon Newby
- Phone: 805-678-5050
- Email: snewby@vcccd.edu
- Office Location: South Office Wing Q
Dr. Newby is a native of New Jersey who got her undergraduate degree at University of Washington in Zoology and her Ph.D. at Rutgers University in Oceanography. She began teaching at Oxnard College in 2005 and teaches Introduction to Biology lecture, Principles of Biology II lecture, and the Marine Biology courses.
Professor Brittany Huerta
- Phone: 805-678-5124
- Email: bhuerta@vcccd.edu
- Office Location: South Office Wing P
Professor Huerta studied geology in her second year in college and fell in love after the first field trip to the Santa Clara riverbed. She received her BSc and MSc in Geology from Cal State Northridge with a focus on structural geology along the San Andreas Fault. Professor Huerta teaches the majority of the Geology courses.