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CITATION Boxall, S. 2018. Are you a marine major or minor? Oceanography 31(1):148–149, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2018.103.

DOI https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2018.103

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Are You a Marine Major or Minor? By Simon Boxall

After my last column in Oceanography in future recruitment. In addition, future levels while still making the course inter- September 2017 (https://doi.org/10.5670/ professionals in science, engineering, law, esting to the others, for whom it may be oceanog.2017.305), in search of inspira- and politics who have some exposure to their only foray into marine science. It tion, ideas for new articles have flooded marine science will bring the core issues is important to ensure there is a good in, which, like buses, seem to always arrive of the subject to the fore. mix of theory and practice, and while in groups. Some from readers (with my So it is simple—provide subsidiary our teaching vessel doesn’t have a bar- thanks), and some from the fathomous courses or minors in marine sciences that becue and operates in the slightly cooler depths of my own mind. On a contempo- students from a wide range of disciplines English Channel, it does offer an inspir- rary topic, Alan Mix (TOS president) and could follow and benefit from. In the dis- ing window on the subject for all students. Ellen Kappel (my long-suffering editor) tant past when I did my degree (with just My own school offers joint degrees with suggested looking at how a wide range three other students!), other undergrad- marine science as a minor with subjects of undergraduate programs are building uates also took some of our marine sci- like geography. However, in the UK we a marine science focus into their curric- ence modules as a part of their maths, have yet to fully embrace the concept of a ula. I say contemporary, as we have just chemistry, or physics degrees, swelling minor concentration. There are set path- seen the latest (and possibly best) offer- numbers to over 80 in some modules. It ways, but the option of, say, a degree in ing from Sir David Attenborough in his has to be said, and with due respect to physics with a minor of your choice is still recently aired Blue Planet II. As with my professors of the time, while the four some way off. many such noteworthy documentary of us lapped up the details of advanced There are two issues with this. In order series, the interest in studying for a degree ocean dynamics and tidal theory, it was to fulfill the basic needs of the major (or in oceanography or marine biology has a touch on the dry side for the other stu- main degree), there are some essential consequently seen a measurable boost as dents. The interest back then was inspired units that every marine scientist, chem- young people become inspired by oceanic by the adventures of Jacques Cousteau ist, or geographer needs to cover. In the adventures and the great unknown. But aboard Calypso rather than today’s David United States and many other countries, the benefit of programs like Blue Planet Attenborough and his Alucia. Many stu- it takes at least four years to earn a bach- is that they also provide an elegant public dents taking subsidiary units were dis- elor’s degree, but in the UK, most degrees platform for our science and highlight its appointed to discover that there were no are awarded in three years (with growing importance in twenty-first century soci- field expeditions to the sun-soaked coasts pressure from government to reduce this ety, identifying issues from plastic pollu- of the Mediterranean, with dinner on the period to an accelerated two years). While tion in the sea to climate change. aft deck chatting about science over a glass the core material for a four-year program In an ideal world we might see a pleth- of wine while barbecuing Jacques’s latest can still be covered and allow a student ora of bright students electing to study discovery from the deep. There was a lot to concentrate in a minor subject area, marine science at the undergraduate of (difficult) maths and theory to deal with this becomes difficult to achieve within a level, but it is still a relatively small num- first, and many never returned to the sub- three-year period. In my School of Ocean ber of universities around the world that ject to reach the more hedonistic stages… and Earth Science, we have to think care- offer such degrees. Many still focus on Today, students from other degree fully about what unit a student can drop graduate degree or research pathways. courses do take some of my own first-year whenever a new unit is introduced. In addition, many prospective students modules, and they come from a wide vari- The second issue—timetables—is have an interest in the ocean but per- ety of disciplines. As well as the expected more frustrating. As with many univer- haps do not want to major in science, nor geologists and environmental scientists, sities, our timetables work within our do they have the right background for a I have biochemists, geographers, mathe- departments, which is great if students full degree in science, or indeed want to maticians, engineers, and even the occa- wanting to undertake units outside their follow a pure science or maths pathway. sional law student. Ensuring that the own subject stay within the department. The last of this group will form a signifi- a priori knowledge needed fits with such However, if the student wants a cross- cant number of our graduate cohort, and a diverse cohort can at times be challeng- department experience, it becomes a so exposure to some marine science at ing. I need to ensure that our oceanogra- logistical nightmare. It is often made the undergraduate level is important for phy major students can progress to higher worse by the fact that, in many cases, the

148 Oceanography | Vol.31, No.1 marine science school is remote from school (pre-university) curriculum, we experience that build on initial interest the university’s main campus, involving should be working in our own universi- that may be sparked by one or two mod- a 20- or 30-minute bus journey between ties to introduce some of our subject into ules with a marine focus in their under- lectures. My school has moved depart- other university undergraduate schools, graduate programs. In Europe, although ments twice and is about to undergo a and not just in science. At Southampton, there are postgraduate summer schools, new change in 2018. Twenty years ago, some of our staff are shared with other there are very few that target undergrad- marine science was in the same depart- departments, for example, with engi- uates. Ironically, we are very good at tar- ment as environmental science and geog- neering, with archeology, and with mar- geting students pre-university, but there raphy. This meant that a third of stu- itime law. It is often easier to timetable seems to be a gap at the undergraduate dents in our first- and some second-year a member of staff than it is to timetable level. We are about to embark on a proj- courses were from these subjects and we 150 students all doing differing pathways. ect with the British Council in the UK saw a good cross-fertilization of subjects. In addition, for short three-year programs to bring a group of British and German We then became a Faculty of Natural and it does not detract from the core material students together for a short residen- Environmental Science, which strangely needed in a particular subject. tial course to improve their ocean liter- didn’t include environmental science The perfect solution? Well, there is acy, with a focus on rising sea levels and (hang on…it gets even stranger…). At still an issue. Persuading an academic to plastic litter. The objective would be to that stage, interfaculty timetabling meant increase teaching load, and in another build on their diverse degree programs that only the most determined students department, is never going to be easy and consider not just the science but also from environmental science or geogra- when we are under more and more time socioeconomic issues. phy could attend marine science courses. pressure. Marine science is being intro- If the answer to more inclusion of In addition, increased student numbers duced in science departments in other marine subjects in a wide range of under- across the university and more units actu- universities in the UK that don’t have a graduate programs is introducing staff ally meant more restricted timetables and tradition or track record in the field. The with marine backgrounds, then there will less choice, which is very much the case in number of colleagues who move to join be a need to increase access to the excit- other universities. We have actually gone departments of biology, chemistry, geog- ing facilities and opportunities at the back on options rather than forward. raphy, environmental science, and engi- more traditional marine science schools The good news is that we are reforming neering is on the rise. They are not only across the globe. Such an effort will need departments in 2018 and will once again taking their marine research into these funding—resources do not come cheap— encompass environmental science and new departments but are also building a but the benefits to the subject should be geography, along with midwifery (I said it marine focus into their teaching so that significant in the long term. I know that gets stranger…). I guess midwives might individual units now consider issues such Alan Mix is keen to discover more, as am benefit from a first-year module in ocean- as marine renewables, coastal defenses, I, and so following on from my previous ography for those ever-popular water sustainable marine ecosystems, and request for topics to be covered, we would births? Nothing worse than an unex- numerical ocean modeling. These sub- be very interested in understanding what pected tsunami in the birthing pool. jects are part of their core teaching role, other academics’ experiences have been There is a genuine desire for more and they do provide a way of introduc- in introducing ocean or marine sci- cross-faculty units from our university ing some of the concepts of marine science into non-marine science programs. hierarchy, but the reality is that a major ence to non-oceanographers. Having Please email us with your experiences, leap across departments is difficult. This come from more traditional schools and and if there is sufficient response, we will brings us to the alternative—taking exam- departments of marine science, these provide a follow-up article on this subject ples from what is a very cool subject (we instructors are also well placed to sign- in the near future. are slightly biased) and building them post enthusiastic students into the field at And if anyone can think of an ocean- into other subjects. Wave theory in phys- the graduate level. It all lacks one thing— ographic link into midwifery, I’d love to ics is an example where ocean waves are if a university doesn’t have a fully devel- hear about it. much more exciting than bits of string, oped marine science department, it is ARTICLE CITATION the ocean provides an excellent applied also unlikely to have the best component Boxall, S. 2018. Are you a marine major or minor? mathematics focus for calculus, and the of our subject, a boat or research ship. Oceanography 31(1):148–149, https://doi.org/10.5670/ oceanog.2018.103. subject of international issues of marine In the United States, Canada, and resources is a very hot and contemporary Bermuda, a growing number of summer AUTHOR Simon Boxall ([email protected]) is Associate item for economics and politics majors. schools open to undergraduates enable Professor, Ocean and Earth Science, University After some level of success in trying to them to experience fieldwork firsthand. of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, get examples of marine science into our These programs provide training and Southampton, UK.

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