Oceans cover two thirds of Earth’s surface, and are inextricably linked with modern human civilization. Yet human activities are rapidly changing our oceans at a global scale in ways that make it more difficult for people to use them. Students in this course will gain an overview of the many human-caused environmental problems that face Earth’s oceans including but not limited to warming, acidification, over-fertilization, pollution, drilling and mining, and overfishing. To place these problems in context, students will also gain a basic understanding of how oceans function.