EESC 2206 Environmental Systems: Oceans
The oceans cover 70% of the earth's surface and are home to much of its life. The oceans are critical to the earth's biogeochemical cycling of energy and mass. Ocean currents play a key role in climate through redistribution and exchange of heat with the atmosphere and storage of CO2. Coastal areas, the narrow interface between land and ocean, represent some of the most productive, populated, and vulnerable regions on earth. The course provides an introduction to the ocean's role in earth processes and explores topics and challenges facing a changing planet through case studies and critical and analytical thinking.
Course overview
- Department
- Earth and Environmental Sciences
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 2
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Periodically in the Spring
Requirements fulfilled
- Environmental Geoscience B.S.: (A) 12 credits from EESC2201–2208 (2 credits each, plus laboratories) and/or EESC1132 (4 credits) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Environmental Studies: Environmental Systems Courses (6 credits) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Environmental Studies: B. One of the following courses (plus lab; 2 credits) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 3.58 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 3.87 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Kathleen Wilson | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 19 of 24 |
| Fall 2024 | Kathleen Wilson | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4–6 hrs/week | 24 of 30 |
| Fall 2023 (midterm) | Kathleen Wilson | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4–6 hrs/week | 15 of 22 |
| Fall 2022 | Hilary Palevsky | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4–6 hrs/week | 52 of 62 |
| Spring 2022 (midterm) | Richard Becker | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 1–3 hrs/week | 27 of 62 |
Data freshness
Instructors
Sections
- Section 01
- Section 02
- Section 03