As an island nation, most of our people live by the sea, and, as the population grows, so too do the pressures experienced by our coastal and marine resources and ecosystems. It is these coastal and oceanic environments, and their protection, that will form a principal foundation for the future economic wellbeing and sustainable development of our nation. However, baseline biological, chemical, and physical information is scarce and this severely restricts our ability to manage these important surroundings effectively.

In order to address this deficit of knowledge, The University of Trinidad and Tobago is the first local institution to successfully develop and offer two (2) marine-focused degrees.  The Marine Science programmes include a 3-year full-time B.A.Sc. in Coast and Ocean Sciences and a 2-year part-time taught M.Sc. in Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management. Both degrees provide a high level of training and practical experience that support the sustainable use and rehabilitation of our coasts and surrounding oceans.

A more detailed understanding of coastal and oceanic dynamics will lead to improved entrepreneurial, technological, and socio-economic progress while providing the knowledge through which more effective management policy can be developed. UTT’s Marine Science programmes have not only been specially designed to address areas which include: ocean and coastal environmental quality, biodiversity and conservation, oceanography, coastal processes and dynamics, fisheries and aquaculture, analysis of coastal and marine resources and marine governance, policy and law. Students will also receive training that supports entrepreneurial activity. 

Photo courtesy: Dr. Reia Guppy

Photo courtesy: Mr. Derek Chung