Fall 2025 Courses

August 25 -  December 12, 2025

Course Registration

Fall registration opens in DukeHub on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 

Download the Fall 2025 Course List >

Download the Fall 2025 Weekly Schedule of Courses > 

View the the DUML Fall 2025 Academic Calendar >

ADVANCED GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS - video connected to DUML 

  • Instructor: John P. Fay
  • Credit: 4 credit hours
  • Course Travel?: No
  • Prerequisites: Environment 559 and Environment 564
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 859
  • Consent of instructor required

Provide training in more advanced skills such as: GIS database programming, modeling applications, spatial decision support systems and Internet map server technologies. The course requires a fundamental knowledge of geospatial analysis theory, analysis tools, and applications. Taught in Durham.

AQUACULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT

  • Instructor: Zackary Johnson
  • Credit: 3 units
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 719A
  • Course Travel?: No

The major environmental, social and economic drivers of increasing global aquaculture, with a focus on marine systems. Quantitative evaluation and comparison of the range of species for aquaculture, locations where operations occur, operational aspects including environmental impacts and management considerations.  Investigation of alternative approaches and potential future areas for aquaculture expansion as well as social, economic and technical barriers to implementation.

BIODIVERSITY OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES 

  • Instructor: Juliet Wong
  • Credit: 4 units  
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 788LA, BIOLOGY 777LA

An introduction to the biodiversity represented by major marine invertebrate groups, with emphasis on the diversity of body forms and behaviors and on anatomical structures and functions. Field trips primarily by boat allow students to explore invertebrates characteristic of a variety of coastal habitats in North Carolina, including mud flats, sandy beaches, salt marshes, oyster reefs, piers and docks, and the water column. Live invertebrates maintained in the laboratory serve as models for detailed study of form and function. Taught in Beaufort at Duke Marine Lab.

COASTAL AND MARINE POLLUTION

  • Instructor: Lee Ferguson
  • Credit: 3 units
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 573A

Sources, fate, and effects of organic, inorganic, and particulate pollutants in the marine environment. Topics include oil spills, coastal eutrophication, marine debris, harmful algae, sewage contamination, dredging, and emerging contaminants. Methods for measuring pollution in the marine environment and consequences for human and ecological health will be discussed. Case studies of impacted marine environments will be highlighted. Short local field trips possible. Taught in Beaufort at Duke Marine Lab. Recommended prerequisite: introductory chemistry and biology, or consent of instructor.

CONSERVATION BIOLOGY & SERVICE LEARNING: COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS, RESTORATION AND COMMUNITIES

  • Instructor: Liz DeMattia
  • Credit: 3 units
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 785A

Marine conservation emphasizing community outreach at local schools focusing on issues in marine conservation and how they are addressed. Lectures cover principles of conservation, biodiversity, extinction risks, genetic tools, fishery by-catch, over-exploitation, habitat degradation, invasive species, climate change, marine protected areas. Students will develop and teach activities that address conservation topics for local school students. Graduate students will undertake an additional project evaluation component which will include the development of an evaluation rubric, conducting an evaluation, and assessing the results of the evaluation. Taught in Beaufort at the Duke Marine Lab.

CURRENT TOPICS IN MARINE CONSERVATION (2nd YEAR PHD STUDENTS)

  • Instructor: TBA
  • Credit: 2 units 
  • Course Travel?: No
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 886A
  • Eligibility: DUML PhD students only

PhD-level reading seminar to review current literature in marine biology focusing on basic ecological principles. Course will satisfy the "Current Topics" requirement in the Marine Biology track of the Marine Science and Conservation Ph.D. degree. Students will rotate presenting primary literature on current week's topic. Although based on current primary literature, relevant classic articles will be included. Discussion will place articles in the broader context of evolution, ecology and biogeochemistry.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES AND PROJECTS

Directed readings or research at the graduate level to meet the needs of individual students.

  • Consent of instructor required. Units to be arranged.
  • Instructor: Staff. Variable credit. 
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 593

MARINE ECOLOGY

  • Instructor: Josh Osterberg
  • Credit: 4 credit hours
  • Course Travel?: No
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 773LA,  BIOLOGY 773LA

  • Ecology from a basic science perspective. Laboratories target a science-oriented graduate audience. Lecture topics include factors that influence the distribution, abundance, and diversity of marine organisms, characteristics of marine habitats, adaptation to environment, species interactions, biogeography, larval recruitment, and communities found in rocky shores, tidal flats, beaches, mangrove, coral reefs, and subtidal areas. Laboratories and field trips cover ecological principles from a basic science perspective. 

MARINE MAMMALS 

  • Instructor: Andrew J. Read
  • Credit: 3 credit hours
  • Course Travel?: No
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 776A

  • Ecology, social organization, behavior, acoustic communication, and management issues. Focused on marine mammals in the southeastern United States (for example, bottlenose dolphin, right whale, West Indian manatee)

MARINE POLICY ANALYSIS

  • Instructor: Grant Murray
  • Credit: 3 credit hours
  • Course Travel?: No
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 786A, POLSCI 707A, PUBPOL 749A
  • Prerequisites: None

  • Formal study of policy and policy-making concerning the coastal marine environment. History of specific marine-related organizations, legislation, and issues and their effects on local, regional, national, and international arenas. Topics explored through use of theoretical and methodological perspectives, including political science, sociology, and economics.

OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENERGY & WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

  • Instructor: Doug Nowacek
  • Credit: 3 units
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 723A
  • Course Travel? No

his course will take a holistic approach to evaluating offshore renewable energy development: benefits and challenges of traditional vs. renewable offshore energy including concerns for wildlife, development of environmental impact statements; permitting processes; consultations with industry, government and other stakeholders; and legal implications. Graduate section offered in conjunction with undergraduate course Marsci 323A. Graduate students will write a term-long research paper, conduct literature reviews, develop case studies, and participate in panel discussions. Taught in Beaufort at the Duke Marine Lab.

POLITICAL ECOLOGY

  • Instructor: Lisa Campbell 
  • Credit: 3 credit hours
  • Course Travel: No
  • DukeHub Listing: ENV 860SA

860SA. Political Ecology. Seminar to examine concept of political ecology as means of conceptualizing conservation and development conflicts and solutions. Intended to engage students with political ecology to strengthen usefulness, enrich possibilities, and improve participants ongoing research, collaborations and critical inquiries. Enrollment limited to graduate students. Taught in Beaufort at Duke Marine Lab. Instructor: Campbell. 3 units.
 

SEMINAR IN COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Required symposium in each program area. Students present master's project research. Pass/fail grading only. Taught in Beaufort at Duke Marine Lab.

MASTER'S PROJECTS

  • Instructor: Staff
  • Variable credit
  • DukeHub Listing: ENVIRON 899.

 

 

Questions?

For help with graduate course registration, email katie.wood@duke.edu.