An Interdisciplinary Course Team-Taught by
Dr. John Anderson and Dr. Sean Todd

Ecology and Literature of the Sea introduces students to a rich body of writing about the sea and gives them the opportunity to relate these ideas to reality. Students gain an intellectual framework through reading classic fiction and nonfiction works regarding the history, culture, and science of the sea. The course culminates in a two-week voyage in the Caribbean aboard a sail-training schooner. The Caribbean voyage enables students to more deeply integrate the ideas they've explored in works ranging from John Steinbeck's The Log From the Sea of Cortez to Peter Mattheisson's Far Tortuga. Aboard the schooner, students continue the discussion, learn how to crew the vessel, and examine important ecological issues as they sail among the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. The class also compares conservation challenges and strategies for each island to synthesize broader solutions that can be applied to islands in other parts of the world. The course is co-taught by John Anderson and Sean Todd.