The Coastal Oceans

University of Oregon

Coastal and marine science at the University of Oregon is growing! Building upon the world-class marine station in Coos Bay, OR, (OIMB), there are numerous faculty, courses, and resources at UO related to the coastal environment. Starting in 2025, a new Coastal Quarter will take place in Coos Bay, engaging dozens of UO undergraduates in classes, experiential learning, and research at the coast.

Importantly, addressing the environmental issues facing coastal communities today takes an interdisciplinary approach, and one that moves beyond natural science along. Fortunately, at UO we have a strong presence in the environmental humanities (CEF), as well as across other departments (e.g., Anthropology), colleges (e.g., College of Design), and schools (e.g., Data Science, Law) of research and teaching related to coastal and marine studies.

Check out this page for more info on details of the Coastal Quarter! Below, you’ll find a list of departments and faculty who have coastal or marine-related interests.

Departments and Faculty

College of Arts and Sciences

Anthropology

  • Scott Fitzpatrick: coastal & island archaeology, seafaring

Biology (BIO) & Marine Biology (OIMB)

  • Bill Cresko: ecological & evolutionary genetics

  • Richard Emlet (OIMB): invertebrates, larvae, biomechanics

  • Aaron Galloway (OIMB): ecologist, fatty acid biomarkers

  • Svetlana Maslakova (OIMB): evolution of larval development

  • Kelly Sutherland (OIMB): zooplankton, biomechanics

  • George van Dassow (OIMB): cell behavior in embryos, larvae

  • Michelle Wood: phytoplankton, optical oceanography

  • Craig Young (OIMB): invertebrates, larval biology

Earth Sciences (ERTH)

  • Susheel Adusimilli: coastal change, remote-sensing

  • Emilie Hooft: marine geophysics, hotspots, ridges

  • Leif Karlstrom: all things fluid

  • Diego Melgar: earthquakes, tsunami modeling

  • Valerie Sahakian: active seismics, earthquakes

  • Dave Sutherland: coastal oceanography, ice-ocean

  • Doug Toomey: marine seismology, Cascadia

English (ENG)

  • Stacy Alaimo: blue humanities, marine science studies

Environmental Studies (ENVS)

  • Lillian Aoki: eelgrass, ecology

  • Mark Carey: science and technology studies, hazards, icebergs

Geography (GEOG)

  • Mark Fonstad: hydrology, remote sensing technology

  • Dan Gavin: biogeography, sediment core analysis

History (HIST)

  • Ryan Jones: environmental history of the Pacific Ocean, whales

School of Journalism & Communication

  • Mark Blaine (J): journalism, science of science communication

College of Design

School of Architecture & Environment

  • Erin Moore (ARCH): material and biological context of buildings

School of Law

  • Sarah Adams-Schoen: climate change law and policy, coastal regons

Courses

Undergraduate

For students wishing to major in a coastal or marine-science related field, there are:

And many marine-related courses offered in the Natural Science Departments at UO. 

Graduate

Look at the list of faculty above for research interests that fit your own. Many of the departments have MS and PhD programs that would allow graduate-level research in marine science. Additionally, for students interested in the human impacts, check out the ENVS ESSP program. 

Other resources

  • Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB)

  • South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (SSNERR)

  • Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC)

  • Marine Reserves in Oregon (ODFW website)

  • NANOOS (Northwest Ocean Observing System)