This intensive course introduces by lecture and in an interactive, group study fashion, the transdisciplinary study of the world’s aquaculture ecosystems. It examines the principles of ecology (natural and social ecology) as they relate to the ecological designs, structures, functions, and social ecologies of integrated aquaculture farming ecosystems. The class studies examples from the world’s major aquaculture species and discuss their history (and “her-story”), natural and social ecologies, current status, and futures. This course also includes hours of interactive classroom and evening work by students in group studies. 

This course provides a background in the evolution of fisheries models and how they are used to inform policies and management. The class covers fisheries models that describe the growth, reproduction, and harvest of fishes. It also covers the biological reference points derived from fisheries models, such as maximum sustainable yield and spawning potential ratio, and how these are used to inform policies and management. The course includes lectures on the history and theory of these models, as well as computer labs to demonstrate their implementation.

This course focuses on marine spatial data creation, management, analysis and interpretation. Advanced GIS skills are gained through a combination of lecture, labs exercises and a final project. The final project provides an opportunity for students to apply geospatial skills to their area of interest. Topics included: introduction to coastal GIS data sources, marine data collection and management, geodesy and map projections, cartography and map production, spatial analysis and interpretation.

This course explores management and conservation of coastal resources through an integrated social-ecological system perspective. This perspective sees people as part of and not apart from ecosystems. In the current era of human-dominated ecosystems and a biosphere shaped by human actions from local to global scales, such a perspective is rapidly gaining ground worldwide in science, is given a strong priority among funding organizations, and is in demand in the science-policy-practice interface.

This course exposes students to the overall process of fisheries management with a focus on population dynamics and stock assessment. It's structured to use both lectures and discussions around theoretical concepts and hands-on real case studies to insure theory is grounded in practical applications. Real data sets from fisheries organizations working in Belize, and those provided by the students are used to provide students with a basic understanding of: How fisheries models work in theory and in practic; Fisheries data, data collection methods, and data evaluation techniques; Data requirements, assumptions and interpretation of a number of conventional assessment methods (e.g. length-based, production, and catch at age models); The role of stock assessment in fisheries science and biological reference points used in fisheries management (e.g. MSY) and how data and mathematical models can be used to inform management policies; andAlternative approaches in data limited situations and fisheries management in developing countries.

This course reviews theoretical and practical issues related to designing, implementing and evaluating fisheries catch-share systems. Some of the topics that will be discussed include distributional and efficiency aspects of different catch-share allocation systems, the functioning of quota markets, the use of bioeconomic models, and the design of enforcement policies.

This short course reviews the theory and practice of the use of property rights to manage fisheries in developing countries, with an special emphasis in Latin America. The course reviews the theoretical foundations of the use of property rights, in particular in the context of developing countries, such as the importance of illegal and unreported fishing and the use of taxes to fund management activities. Examples are examined using simulations to show the effects of these topics on quota markets. The class also reviews the experience and the lessons learnt with the use of individual transferable quota in Chile and Perú, since they were first implemented in 1991, the fisheries reforms in 2001 in Chile and 2009 in Perú, and the most recent update of the fisheries law in Chile in 2013. The class also examines how the legislation evolved and adapted to the context of developing countries. Finally, the experiences with TURFs and small scale aquaculture in Chile and Perú are explored.