The undergraduate Coastal Environmental Science degree in the School of the Coast and Environment at Louisiana State University creates a unique and valuable niche for the State of Louisiana and within the Gulf coast region. Louisiana sits astride the sixth largest river in the world, and as a result, has a major world river delta for its coastline. Understanding the processes that control this system and how anthropogenic activities have altered the system has relevance worldwide. From the Mekong delta in Southeast Asia to the Nile delta on the Mediterranean Sea, deltaic coastlines are disappearing at an alarming rate – largely due to the activities of humans. Unfortunately, Louisiana’s Mississippi delta is no exception. Additionally, most efforts at studying the environment occur in relatively transparent waters, while the turbid waters of major world river systems have been largely ignored.
The State of Louisiana and LSU and A&M College have created this program in coastal environmental sciences related to the so-called brown-water coastal ecosystems. The production of a well-educated and thoughtful group of young coastal environmental scientists prepared to tackle resource management and coastal restoration concerns in an informed and scientifically responsible manner will contribute to the resolution of problems related to the sustainable management of coastal resources locally, nationally, and globally.
The Louisiana deltaic floodplain marshes are an economically vital region to the United States, not only for oil and natural gas production, but for the prolific fisheries of the region. This unique blend of fisheries and industry evolved successfully in this region due to the expansive marshes and typically low energy coastline. Never was it more obvious than in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina (29 August 2005) and Rita (24 September 2005) that the fragile Louisiana and northern Gulf coasts were degrading. While governments and the general public scrutinize the effects of coastal storm surges on communities and industry, the basic science necessary to understand the cause and effect requires a continuous supply of outstanding scientists. We expect our future graduates to provide fundamental scientific contributions to the protection of vital coastlines like Louisiana’s and many others worldwide.
LSU’s School of the Coast and Environment is the largest coastal and environmental program in the State of Louisiana. It offers two excellent, long-standing, and well-established graduate degree programs in Environmental Sciences and Oceanography and Coastal Sciences. The School of the Coast and Environment is home to the
SC&E faculty work closely with the LSU Center for Computational Technology (CCT) to produce the best coastal models for land loss predictions, wetland restoration, storm surge and sediment transport. Our faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to research, education, and outreach utilizing cutting edge technology in our individual laboratories and collaboratively through these larger research facilities. This CES degree takes advantage of these established programs and existing courses to offer an undergraduate degree suited to both the immediate local needs of the Gulf Coast region and the global concerns of climate change. The scope of faculty expertise include coastal restoration, remote sensing, wetland sciences, biogeochemistry, eco-toxicology, hurricanes/storms, ecology (benthic, microbial, aquatic), fisheries, physical, biological, and geological oceanography, and policy and management. Our DOCS and ENVS graduate programs have produced over 500 M.S. and 159 Ph.D. students (combined) since 1971. These alumni have gone on to distinguished careers of their own in academia, government, industry, and the private sector where they now represent role models and excellent networking opportunities for our undergraduate student population.
This Coastal Environmental Science baccalaureate program will provide its graduates with a foundation of knowledge and concern and excitement about environmental sciences that will make them excellent advertisements for the State of Louisiana and Louisiana State University and responsible contributors to future economic growth and development.
