Document: SUS-3-28-15

Chilipeppers, climate change, and Cobb Douglas functions: Innovations in ecological education.

ALEXANDER, S.E.* and M.G.DALTON

Institute for Earth Systems Science & Policy, CSU Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA USA ¹

Abstract:
Over the past three years, the Institute for Earth Systems Science & Policy (ESSP) at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) has implemented many of the recommendations identified by the 1997 National Science Foundation document, "Shaping the Future: New Expectations for Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology". The integration of concepts from different earth science disciplines has provided faculty in ESSP with a powerful approach to science education, as demonstrated in the ESSP program description. Response from students has been positive and enrollment continues to grow. The effectiveness of the Earth System Science approach to ecological education is demonstrated in ESSP 301: Ecosystem Services, an upper division course that develops an integrated framework of ecology, economics, and policy, and applies this framework to environmental issues in Monterey Bay. One application is the interaction between marine fisheries and climate. Through mathematical and statistical modeling, students evaluate the effect of El Nio events on 30 fisheries in Monterey Bay, California. These skills allow them to better understand and help solve regional environmental problems such as the current decline in the rockfish fisheries, including chilipeppers. Project innovations, results, successes and barriers are discussed in the context of ecological education.

Keywords: ecosystem services, ecological education, earth systems science, marine fisheries

This abstract is being presented at: 3:30 PM in session:
Poster Session #3: Education.