Flyer for Coastal Quarter 2026
Hi Awesome Advisors!,
Would you be so kind as to help us get the word out to students from all majors about the “People and the Coast” program being offered for the second year this coming Winter 2026 at the UO’s marine lab, OIMB (see flyer attached and verbiage to share with students below)? Importantly, all the courses offered in this program are upper division courses but we waive all of the prerequisites so students from any major can take the courses.
Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you so much for helping us get the word out so students can plan ahead to live at OIMB next winter if they’d like to participate. We’ll send out another plug in early fall as well.
Thank you all!,
Maya
“The University of Oregon, College of Arts and Sciences is offering a new program, “People and the Coast: An Introduction to Coastal and Marine Environmental Studies,” at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB). This “Coastal Quarter” is an interdisciplinary, immersion-style term lead by faculty across the UO to teach undergraduates at the coast with the goal of building a cohort of students who gain understanding of coastal issues. The second “Coastal Quarter” will run in Winter 2026 and include courses focusing on marine and coastal issues, archaeology and include an internship with a local partner institution. Please see the list of courses below that will be offered in Winter 2026.
The “Coastal Quarter” is designed to be a place-based immersion experience. As such, students will enroll in all 4 courses and a seminar and live in-residence on the OIMB campus for the entire Winter quarter. For more information see https://www.oceanice.org/coastal-quarter.
Courses:
BI 457 Marine Environmental Issues – A survey of the current issues that influence marine environments at local and global scales. We will examine several local applied case studies with guest speakers and field trips. We will take an integrated approach to explore global climate change, conservation, fisheries, habitat alteration, introduced species, and pollution in the marine environment using readings, seminars, and peer-reviewed writing.
BI 457 Exploring Estuaries as Ecosystems (4 cr) Estuaries have been essential habitat for human populations since we have used marine resources. These highly productive ecosystems of habitats and organisms provide harbors, and food, This course will explore how estuaries work, support human needs, absorb human impacts, and yet remain largely resilient.
ANTH 444 Seacoast in Prehistory – This course is designed to examine coastlines from a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives using archaeological case studies from around the world. Topics of discussion will include subsistence strategies, the rise of sociopolitical complexity, trade and exchange systems, and ecological adaptations and impacts.
BI 406 Coastal Experience Internship (3 cr): This course will give hands-on experience working with one of our coastal partners (e.g., ODFW, SNERR), on a project that culminates in presenting at our Coastal Symposium.
BI 407, Seminar on Coastal Practitioners (1 cr): A one-credit seminar class exploring careers of coastal practitioners through guest lectures.
To apply: https://oregon.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cCRvwBdbPhMk0Zw
The application period closes on Saturday October 15, 2025 or until filled.
Once admitted to the program, students may apply for a need-based partial scholarship.”
Maya Watts, PhD | Education Coordinator (she/her)
University of Oregon | Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
63466 Boat Basin Rd, Charleston, OR 97420
541-346-7277 | mwolf1@uoregon.edu