Study Overseas

Is there any resource that is more fundamental to life, more inspiring, more mysterious than the ocean? This vast sea that covers more than 70% of the Earth holds many of the keys to our planet's health and the welfare of all living creatures. Over the last decades, there has been increasing awareness of the impact of human activities and advances in technology on our planet. Much concern has been generated by highly publicized catastrophes, both real and threatened, such as oil spills, harmful algal blooms, overfishing and global warming.

Never before have scientific and environmental issues dominated the actions of countries and the concerns of the individuals as they do today. The fact that these issues are covered almost daily on the front pages of our newspapers and featured on the evening TV news, indicates the need for well-rounded marine scientists, engineers and policy specialists.

The broadened relevance of marine studies to a spectrum of societal needs has caused academic leaders in the United States to re-examine the content and approach to the study of marine and coastal environments. The traditional model for careers in ocean sciences had been one of producing highly specialized university-based researchers dependent on Federal grants and contracts for support. Societal demands for solutions to complex environmental problems now dictate a very different graduate education. Not only is the mastery of advanced work in a chosen field of specialization required, but also critical is a more general education, leading to an understanding of complex interactions in the 'real world'. Therefore, in addition to formal classroom study and original research, marine studies students often gain practical experience through an internship in the public or private sector.

An interesting example of this approach to graduate study can be found in Marine Studies Departments across America, aiming to educate the next generation of marine professionals who have the broad vision and interdisciplinary background necessary to address the sweeping interrelated problems that face marine and coastal environments. Academic programs include Marine Biology-Biochemistry, Marine Policy, Oceanography and Physical Ocean Science and Engineering; students are able to pursue a postgraduate degree in marine studies, marine policy, or oceanography. Each student can specialize in one specific area, but is expected to gain a general understanding of the other areas through required introductory courses. Field and laboratory experiences also play an essential role in marine education. Whether students are diving in Caribbean waters to study coral communities or tracking ocean currents via satellite, they are well-integrated into their college's research activities.

In conducting original research leading to a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation, students demonstrate their ability to identify, define and solve problems - research is expected to be of sufficient scope and depth as to be publishable in respected scholarly journals. In addition, many students take advantage of internship opportunities with federal agencies such as the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, or with a variety of private sector firms.

There is a long history and tradition for international collaborations in the study of the world's oceans, with talent exchange from one nation to another, who are exposed to the same academic and real world experiences during their graduate degree programs as the domestic students. The experiences of two foreign graduate students - one a science student and the other a policy student - illustrate this point.

Dr. Antonia 'Tonny' Wijte, a Dutch-born scientist, first served a 10-month internship at the University of Delaware's Graduate College of Marine Studies (CMS), working for a faculty member in marine biology-biochemistry before matriculating as a graduate student. Tonny actually found out what it was like to be a researcher studying salt tolerance in marine plants before committing to a doctoral graduate degree program. Today, she is a faculty member in plant biology at California State University in Long Beach. She is currently continuing her research on marine plants, examining the nitrogen and carbon interactions of invasive plants in wetlands.

Dosoo Jang, a native of South Korea and a doctoral study in marine policy, has special interests in integrated coastal management, which encourages the incorporation of science into the policy-making process. Last year, Jang worked as an integrated coastal management consultant at the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. This year, Jang was chosen as one of the 30 students for the Knauss Sea Grant Fellowship, and he has been assigned to the International Programs Office in NOAA's National Ocean Service. There, he will help implement bilateral activities between the United States and China and Japan in coastal environmental science and technology.

These examples illustrate the very exciting and diverse graduate education opportunities for foreign students opting to pursue the field of marine studies in the United States. A listing of the major marine institutions of higher education can be found through contacting the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education (CORE) in Washington, D.C. The internet address is: http://www.coreocean.org/?anchor=core_about.

Author
Dr. Carolyn A. Thoroughgood
Graduate College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware