Marine chemists study the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, the impact and fate of marine pollutants, marine geochemistry and ocean/atmosphere interactions. Research at UM focuses on the role of ocean processes in carbon cycling and global climate change. Since its founding in 1977, UM's double major in Marine Science has established our undergraduate program as one of the top programs in the country. The interdisciplinary plan deals with the study of the world's oceans: their physical and biological constituents, the influence of oceanic resources on human society and the conservation and future development of those resources. The breadth of the Marine Science major is complemented with depth in a required second major within one of the basic or applied sciences. All students acquire a common background in the basic sciences, along with a set of four core Marine Science courses and labs. Electives may be chosen from any area within the School, and may include up to six credits of directed research.