Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences

a winding river in a wetland with text reading DOCS Celebrating Our Journey

This year, the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences is celebrating the legacy of its graduate programs and their impact on coastal environmental research, education, and outreach. Explore our interactive content, videos, photos, and articles highlighting some of the major contributions we are making to Louisiana and the world. 

Degrees

Our department (DOCS) is interested in recruiting highly qualified graduate students who can benefit from our interdisciplinary perspectives. The overarching theme of our graduate courses and research is understanding and predicting ecological changes across gradients that extend from coastal areas across the continental shelf.

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Degree options

We offer the following degrees:

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a student trawling in open water

Interested in a minor? The College of the Coast & Environment offers minors in Wetland Science and Management, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Toxicology, Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, and Coastal Meteorology. 

Nancy Rabalais TED Talk

NANCY RABALAIS: THE DEAD ZONE OF THE GULF OF MEXICO

Watch DOCS professor, Nancy Rabalais, give a TED Talk on "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico -- where there isn't enough oxygen in the water to support life. The Gulf has the second largest dead zone in the world; on top of killing fish and crustaceans, it's also killing fisheries in these waters.

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LSU FEATURED TIGER, MATT ROBERTSON

LSU Biological Oceanography graduate student Matt Robertson shares his experience while doing research in Tanzania, Africa. His research involves examining the link between mangroves, fish and fisheries and he hopes this work will aid in solving some of the challenges in Louisiana's ecosystem and eroding coastline.