Modeled after our Boston University accredited SEA undergraduate program, SEA gap programs offer any student interested in the oceans the opportunity to study the marine environment through the disciplines of science, maritime history & culture, policy, and leadership.
Choose between an academic, credit-bearing program or an experiential not-for-credit program.
Climate & Society: Aotearoa New Zealand
Finding solutions to the problems brought about by climate change requires going beyond scientific data. We must also consider the possibilities found within social and political institutions, economic systems, cultural practices, and the creative forces of art, literature, and design. The humanities and social sciences contribute to knowledge of how our changing climate impacts human lives and societies, and they play a vital role in building strategies for global climate resilience and adaptation.
During the shore component, you will develop your semester-long research project, review essential climate humanities literature, and design a plan for original field research. You’ll discuss a range of climate related issues including human migration and displacement, coastal and urban resilience, environmental justice, energy alternatives, and sustainable design.
The sailing component begins in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, where you will discuss climate change issues and local solutions with marine scientists and community leaders. You will learn about coastal erosion mitigation strategies in New Zealand and explore the effects of climate change on agricultural production and foodways there. Through daily oceanographic surveys, “classroom” discussions, and navigational training while at sea, you will gain a unique and valuable perspective of climate change that links oceanic and terrestrial systems. The cruise track returns to Auckland and a final onboard symposium featuring student presentations of field research and storytelling projects.
Climate Change & Coastal Resilience
Climate change hits home for those who live near 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 offered by Sea Education Association, takes a close look at the many ways climate change is affecting these coastal communities, and at strategies for building coastal resilience.
Beginning with a shore program in Woods Hole, students will gain a theoretical understanding of how climate change is impacting societies, ecosystems, and economies with lectures by climate scientists and policy experts, as well as through field trips to relevant research institutions and agencies in Woods Hole and Boston.
Choose between an academic, credit-bearing program or an experiential not-for-credit program.
About SEA
SEA is based in the world-renowned oceanographic research village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Since 1971, we have educated more than 10,000 students about the global oceans through preparatory studies on shore followed by a tall ship sailing research voyage at sea.
For information about tuition and financial aid, please go to https://sea.edu/admissions/gap-year-admissions/
