Climate Change & Coastal Resilience: Caribbean - Fall 2026

Undergraduate Program

Climate change significantly impacts communities residing near and relying on the ocean.

Increasingly, residents of vulnerable coastal communities are on the front lines in the struggle against rising seas and strengthening storm cycles. That struggle also raises complex issues of climate justice and public health, everywhere from large urban areas to small rural towns and villages.

Climate Change and Coastal Resilience, a mid-level undergraduate program examines the ways climate change is affecting coastal communities and explores strategies for building coastal resilience.

Beginning with a shore program in Woods Hole, students gain a theoretical understanding of climate change impacts on societies, ecosystems, and economies. The academic curriculum includes lectures from leading climate scientists and policy experts and field trips to local research institutions in surrounding area. Students engage in discussions on topics such as rising sea levels, increased storm intensity, and ocean acidification.

Following the shore program, students embark on a sailing voyage from St. Croix, USVI to Dominica before continuing on to St. Kitts. During their time at sea, students gain hands-on research experience through the deployment of oceanographic research equipment. At port stops, students will connect with local experts and community members to better understand the ways in which climate change is impacting the region.

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Fall 2026

Woods Hole, MA

At Sea

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Learning Objectives

Students participating in this program can expect the following:

Examine strategies for building coastal resilience and mitigating the impacts of sea level rise

Interact with local stakeholders, environmental activists, and urban design and climate change experts

Sail the Caribbean and learn how climate change is affecting coastal communities

Locations

St. Croix to St. Croix, USVI

Port Stops

*Port stops are not guaranteed and will be evaluated based on weather conditions closer to the sea component.

Dominica

St. Kitts

BLogs from the Program

Academic Credit

Course Descriptions & Syllabi

This program carries 18 semester hour credits from Boston University for successful completion of the program.

Syllabi for previous years are available for review. Detailed course content for future programs is dependent on cruise track, seasons, port stops, current events and faculty, and will be available closer to the program start date.

Marine Environmental History300 level, 4 credits, CAS NS 323

Employ methods and sources of historians and social scientists. Examine the role of human societies in coastal and open ocean environmental change. Issues include resource conservation, overfishing, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.

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Ocean Science and Public Policy300 level, 3 credits, CAS NS 320

Culture, history, political systems and science can shape ocean policy. Practice current strategies to build, analyze, and communicate about diverse policy issues. Examine the power, use and limitations of science and the scientist’s voice in determining ocean policy.

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The Ocean and Global Change200 level, 4 credits, CAS NS 326

Ocean ecosystem change in the anthropocene: warming, acidification, fisheries depletion, and pollution. Review principles of circulation, seawater chemistry, nutrient dynamics, and biological production to understand causes and consequences of change. Conduct field measurements for contribution to time-series datasets.

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Leadership in a Dynamic Environment300 level, 3 credits, CAS NS 329

Be an effective leader while leveraging the individual strengths of a team. Use leadership theory and case studies to understand how decisions affect outcomes. Participate as an active member of a ship’s crew, progressively assuming full leadership roles.

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Choice of:

Advanced Research Topics400 level, 4 credits

Advanced humanities and social science seminar focusing on contemporary climate-related issues including urban/coastal resilience, poverty and justice, clean energy, human displacement, and national security. Emphasizes case study analysis and research methods. Requires data collection, research paper and written proposal for publication or distribution of results.

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Practical Oceanographic Research200 level, 4 credits

Introduction to oceanographic research. Design a collaborative, hypothesis-driven project following the scientific process. Collect original data. Conduct analysis and interpretation, then prepare a written report and oral presentation.

Directed Oceanographic Research300 level, 4 credits

Two lab science courses (one at the 200-level or higher) or consent of instructor.
Design and conduct original oceanographic research. Collect data and analyze samples. Compile results in peer-reviewed manuscript format and share during oral or poster presentation session. Emphasis on development of research skills and written/oral communication abilities.

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