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This course explores the processes that form and change coastal environments in New Zealand, the Pacific and worldwide. Topics examined include a selection of: sea level change today and into the future, waves and currents, the role of sediments in how beaches work to protect land and interact with oceans, plus sessions focussed on the wonders and practical realities of wetlands, tropical reefs, and human interactions with coastal environments. You will gain an understanding of models of the coastal zone, as well as an experience of field methods and laboratory techniques used in coastal investigations. The course was developed based on direct industry feedback and involvement. There is also an optional one-day field-trip, where there is an opportunity to put your learnings into practice and measure waves, currents and beach profiles, and to collect sediment and ecological data for analysis in labs, all using up-to-date professional techniques.
GEOG311 aims:- to inspire you to want to understand and learn more about coastal environments;- to provide a forum to share knowledge, experience and perspectives from different coastal sub-disciplines (that means you sharing, not just staff!),- to provide opportunities to understand the coast as a biophysical system,- to develop abilities in the application of coastal process principles for the analysis and interpretation of physical coastal environments and human issues relating to them, and- to explore with you initial-level coastal knowledge and skills relevant to the career streams of environmental science, consultancy, planning and management.Upon successful completion of GEOG311, you should gain:- understanding of the coast as a complex, biophysical system,- awareness of human impacts on various coastal environments and vice versa,- experience in analysing, interpreting and solving complex environment problems, and- experience in conducting research and written presentation to international scientific standards.
30 points of 200-level Geography, including GEOG201, orin special cases with approval of the Head of Department.
You are expected to spend about ten hours of your working week on this course (averaged over the semester). These hours should be planned as follows:- 2 hours each week in lectures;- 3 hours in selected weeks in labs;- an optional 1 day fieldtrip;- 5+ hours self-directed time for readings, online quizzes, working on your poster assignment, preparing for class, and reviewing notes.
Deirdre Hart
2019 Course Handout Word Document (see learn for most recent version)
Domestic fee $867.00
International fee $4,250.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see School of Earth and Environment .