Discussion - 3 hours. Elective course for Environmental Law Certificate Program. This course provides an introduction to the goals and challenges of coastal and ocean policy; the web of public (international, federal, state, and local) and private interests in coastal lands and ocean waters; regulation of coastal development; domestic and international fisheries management; offshore energy development and production; and preservation of ocean resources. The challenges presented by climate change to ocean and coastal environments will be featured in this course, as will recent ocean- and coastal-related disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Superstorm Sandy and the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill. We will examine in some detail the State of California's current ocean and coastal management initiatives, which in many ways exceed those of any other U.S. state, as well as those of the federal government. The course will feature an interdisciplinary teaching approach, including guest speakers from marine science disciplines, along with a field trip for enrolled students to the U.C. Davis Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay.
Classroom Policies: Students are expected to regularly attend class sessions. Students’ oral participation in classroom discussions will be a factor in assessing final course grades.
Final Assessment: Exam