At the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences students work together with faculty and staff mentors to play an integral role in the research activities of the center. Both undergraduates and graduate students are involved in day-to-day fieldwork, research cruises, and laboratory experiments. Students are encouraged to present their research at scientific conferences and submit their work to peer-reviewed publications. Many graduate students are involved in teaching assistantships for undergraduate labs, providing an excellent opportunity for teaching experience.
Mission
To promote and facilitate interdisciplinary studies of coastal marine systems for the purpose of addressing pressing issues facing our ocean resources and fostering hands-on learning through discovery and outreach by our students, faculty, and staff.
Vision
The vision of the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences is to foster an atmosphere where an intellectually engaged group of students, staff and faculty can contribute their expertise to understand and solve meaningful and pressing problems of our coastal ocean and to connect our expertise to coastal communities. Through integrated research and teaching using the 'Learn by Doing' philosophy we aim to become one of the premier institutes for undergraduate education in marine science. The CCMS also aims to strengthen future relationships with other research institutions, community organizations and policymakers to provide sound scientific solutions to issues in marine science along the California Central Coast and beyond.
