Marine Studies

Marine Studies

Take your education outside with the Kino Bay Center

Marine Studies at Prescott College

The Marine Studies curriculum at Prescott College exists as an emphasis area within the Environmental Studies Program. Students may focus their competence (major) on Marine Studies or take courses to contribute to their breadth (minor) area or liberal arts education. The Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies serves as a field station for many Marine Studies courses. At the field station students have the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and experience in marine research and conservation. RDP Students should refer to the ES Advising document for further information.

Marine Studies Emphasis Guidelines

Marine Studies at Prescott College has a strong focus on ecology of the marine environment (physical and biological oceanography) and on the relationships between humans and the marine environment. Students graduating with a competence in Marine Studies should have a foundation in life sciences, physical sciences, human ecology, conservation and resource management, as well as a broad scope of supporting courses in literature, politics, economics, and humanities. Direct field experience rounds-out a student’s understanding and respect for the power and vastness of the world’s ocean. Many Marine Studies courses take place at Prescott College’s Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies in Bahia Kino, Sonora, Mexico, on the coast of the Gulf of California in Mexico. The Kino Bay Center sits amid the diverse Sonoran Desert on the coast of the Midriff Island region of the Gulf of California, an area rich in marine habitats, seabirds, marine mammals, fish, mangrove estuaries, and other coastal flora and fauna. With our relationships with the local Mexican fishing community and the native Comcaac village, we are able to explore a variety of marine environments, study human interactions with the sea, and participate in cooperative marine conservation research projects.

Competence: Environmental Studies with an Emphasis in Marine Studies

(60 credits minimum; 30 UD minimum)

  • 4 distribution courses and ecology course required for ES competence
  • 5 Marine Studies core courses
  • 2 Science Foundation courses
  • 2 Conservation Foundation courses
  • 2 Supporting courses
  • 1 Independent Study
  • Senior project

Some courses may simultaneously apply to more than one of the categories listed above

List of Courses

Core Courses: Classes in the fall semester focus on interdisciplinary themes of social justice, community organizing and marine conservation. Spring semester classes are science oriented.

  • Marine Studies (Fall semester odd years):
    • Natural History of the Gulf of California (6 credits) (LD/UD)
    • Cultural Geography (6 credits) (LD/UD)
    • Society and Environment (4 credits) (LD/UD)
  • Marine Biology (Spring semester even years):
    • Oceanography (4 credits) (LD/UD)
    • Diversity of Marine Life (6 credits) (LD/UD)
    • Research Methods (6 credits) (LD/UD)
  • Marine Conservation (Fall semester even years):
    • Global Marine Issues (4 credits) (UD/Grad)
    • Community-based Conservation (6 credits) (UD/Grad)
    • Conservation Practicum (6 credits) (UD/Grad)
  • Gulf of California Semester (Spring semester odd years):
    • Seabird Ecology (4 credits) (UD/Grad)
    • Island Biogeography (6 credits) (UD/Grad)
    • Biological Field Methods (6 credits) (UD/Grad)
  • Sea Kayaking and Marine Natural History (Spring semester block 1)
  • Spanish Intensive and Cultural Immersion (Spring semester block 1)
  • Marine Mammal Ecology (Spring semester block 1
  • Special Topics Courses
  • Independent Studies (UD)

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