Oceans of History:  Humans and Environments in the Pacific examines the environmental history of the world’s largest geographical feature – the Pacific Ocean.  This class is simultaneously an investigation into the origins of the Pacific’s current ecological crises, the foundations of oceanic identities, and the multiple ways of understanding the ocean.  We will be reading historical, anthropological, and scientific research and weighing the merits of each approach.  Lectures will be supplemented by several site visits and guest speakers.