A Graduate Research Traineeship (GRT) program is proposed for the priority of Geosciences are of "Coastal Ocean Processes". In the Oceanography Program of the Graduate College of Marine Studies (CMS), we have a PhD degree program that we propose to modify to provide an additional new specialization in "Coastal Ocean Processes" (COP). This COP program is built on an existing emphasis in nearshore oceanographic areas, an advanced course in coastal and estuarine oceanography, an advanced physical oceanography course, and a course in marine policy for oceanographers. There are 15 faculty members from the CMS who have agreed to participate in this initial program. An additional equal number who teach and do research in the general area of nearshore oceanography will add to the resource base for this traineeship program; although not contacted for this program initially, some may join later as potential advisors for the students. Over the past decade, 17 students have received PhD degrees in Oceanography from the CMS in which there was an emphasis in each one's dissertation research in nearshore oceanography. The six faculty who advised these students are participants in the new program that is proposed here. Although these previous students did not have the same specific requirements as are proposed for the new program, many did take one or more advanced estuarine and coastal oceanography courses and several of the non-physicists did take advanced physical oceanography courses and used dynamical physical oceanographic modelling in dissertations and refereed publications. Most took a course in marine policy. We feel that we have demonstrated the ability to give training in a coastal ocean processes orientation for an oceanography degree and that we have the capacity to recruit and advise the additional number of students that this GRT grant would support.
