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Home / Academics / Academic Majors / Marine and Environmental Sciences

Marine and Environmental Sciences

Marine and Environmental Sciences (MES) is a study of the complex relationships between humans and the land, oceans and atmosphere. The MES major integrates oceanography, chemistry, biology, physics, and math to provide a technical, multidisciplinary education closely aligned with the Coast Guard missions of fisheries law enforcement; environmental response management; search and rescue operations; oil spill cleanup; and iceberg tracking.
  • MES involves considerable amount of time spent conducting hands-on laboratory experiments using the latest technology and fieldwork often onboard the Marine Science research vessel, the Michael J. Greeley
  • Courses take advantage of the CGA’s proximity to the Thames River estuary for field studies
  • Electives allow students to explore areas such as toxicology, astronomy, polar studies, or to pursue independent research.
  • The Marine and Environmental Sciences major is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.
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Areas of Specialization

Beginning in your 3rd class (sophomore) year and continuing through the first semester of your 1st class (senior) year, MES majors specialize in one of the following three concentrations.

  • Environmental Science
  • Marine Science
  • Environmental Monitoring
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Geospatial Intelligence

Open to cadets in all majors, the Geospatial Intelligence Plan of Study Certificate program is a sequence of specialized courses that cuts across several scientific disciplines. Completion of this certificate program expands assignment opportunities in the Coast Guard, and opens a diverse range of career pathways in the civilian sector.
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Resources

MES majors have access to exceptional resources, including the R/V Michael J. Greeley, our 36-foot marine science research vessel; laboratories with state-of-the-art, research-grade equipment; and, very importantly, abundant waters – the Academy sits on the Thames River and is just miles away from the Long Island Sound, gateway to the Atlantic Ocean.
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Learning in Action

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FACTS AND FIGURES
$ 0 .5M
in scientific equipment is accessible to MES majors
0
Total number of conferences on average attended by MES majors each year
0
Independent research projects
 
0
scholars
MES majors have been named Fulbright Scholars

Featured Graduates

Matt Naylor
Class of 2017
B.S., Marine and
Environmental Sciences

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Alex Kloo
Class of 2015
B.S., Marine and
Environmental Sciences

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Jody Maisano

Jody Maisano
Class of 2004
B.S., Marine and
Environmental Sciences

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Contact Information

Marine and Environmental Sciences
Karina L. Mrakovcich, Ph.D.
Program Chair
Karina.L.Mrakovcich@uscga.edu
(860) 444-6288
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Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

  1. If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  2. If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
  3. If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  4. If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at  Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
  5. All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.

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