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Seven students pose by the NYHS community garden

MARINE AFFAIRS

Marine Affairs is the multi-disciplinary study of the interactions between humans and the marine and coastal environments and resources and how they are managed with the ultimate goal of achieving sustainability.

We use Governors Island Ecology and Environmental Projects, New York City Ecology and Development, New York State, and Federal Policy as the lenses and core content. 

Program Description

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This program examines natural resources, their human impact, usage, and management. Specific case studies will illustrate the issues discussed; Harbor School, Governors Island, and New York City are our testing grounds for this content.  Course Objectives 1. Explore and understand the complex and essential ways humans relate to and depend upon coastal and marine environments and resources.  2. Think critically about how humans transform and manage marine space and its components. 3. Reflect seriously on issues, challenges, and solutions involving complex marine and coastal management and sustainability problems.  ​ Student Learning Outcomes 1. Recognize multiple complex human uses of the marine and coastal environments and resources.  2. Describe significant issues and challenges in marine and coastal management and policy.  3. Provide examples of strategies typically employed in marine and coastal management.  4. Explain the importance of multidisciplinary holistic approaches for managing marine and coastal environments and resources.  5. Assess the effectiveness of potential solutions to address complex marine and coastal management and sustainability problems.  These skills will allow students to pursue college and begin to think about the fields of environmental education, environmental law, environmental journalism, environmental management, environmental ethics, environmental policy, environmental remediation, urban planning and design, marine biology, natural resources, sustainable development, zoology, and specialized areas like desert studies, international environmental politics, and sustainable development management.

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Instructor

Robert Markuske

Courses

10th Grade

  • Fall - Intro Sustainability

  • Spring - Sustainability Issues and Farmer Science

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11th Grade

  • Fall - Marine Affairs Intro

  • Spring - Marine Affairs Applied

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12th Grade

  • Fall - Waterfront Edge and Stakeholder Engagement 

  • Spring - Marine Affairs Seminar 

  • Career and Financial Management

Industry Recognized  Certifications 

  • Earth Matter Compost/Urban Farm Technician

  • MARPOL Compliance

  • Controlled Environment Agriculture

  • Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG)

  • EPA Watershed Academy

  • NYS Safe Boaters Course

  • Sustainability Fellow

NYS CTE Endorsement

  • Natural Resources and Management in Agriculture/Natural Resources Career Cluster 

Marine Affairs Partners

These organizations provide support through certifications, student internships, student work-based learning experiences, and fieldwork development. 

Billion Oyster Project

Earth Matter

EcoWatch

Future Farmers Of America (FFA)

Grownyc

Marine Sanctuary Foundation

New York Climate Exchange

and many more.

NOAA

NY Sunworks

Redhook Terminals

The Nature Conservancy

USDA

Wildlife Conservation Society

WINGS

See what we've been working on

Check out Marine Affair's Green Mapping Project for Climate Week NYC!

The Marine Affairs program will facilitate this project with guidance from Wendy Brawer at Green Maps. The map will illustrate students' investigation of Ecosystem Services, Sustainable Development Goals, and Climate vulnerabilities. 

 

The hands-on data collecting took place during the early days of the 2024-2025 school year; students walked on the island and collected observations on the topics above. 

 

Moreover, students took those observations and developed a map from the youths' perspective to guide people's experiences on the island. This will become integral to the students' experiences and enhance public knowledge of the island and its relationship to emerging issues of our time and developments to combat it, raising important questions.

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A Peek at Our Day

Explore our other CTE Programs

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