Marine Sand and Aggregates Course
This course introduces you to the management of marine sand and aggregates, a resource in growing demand for construction, beach nourishment and coastal defense. You will learn how deposits form and are located, survey and dredging techniques, environmental effects on the seabed, species and coastline, and the criteria for sustainable sediment management.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Marine Sand and Aggregates Course?
This short course introduces you to the management of marine sand and aggregates, a resource in growing demand for construction, beach nourishment and coastal defense, whose intensive extraction concerns bodies such as UNEP. You will learn how deposits form and are located, the techniques of survey and dredging, the environmental effects on the seabed, species and coastline, and the criteria for sustainable sediment management set out in international guidelines such as those of ICES.
What sets this course apart: a strategic resource, with sand treated as finite and increasingly contested; a technical view running from survey to dredging and beach nourishment; an environmental focus on impacts, monitoring and corrective measures; concise, applicable content; and a practical case in which you assess an extraction area to nourish a beach.
Program highlights
- Strategic resource: sand as a finite and increasingly contested resource.
- Technical view: from survey to dredging and beach nourishment.
- Environmental focus: impacts, monitoring and corrective measures.
- Survey methods: bathymetry, seismic profiling, vibrocores and grain-size analysis.
- Sustainable management: international guidelines and authorization frameworks.
- Practical case: assessment of an extraction area for beach nourishment.
Syllabus of the Marine Sand and Aggregates Course
5 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Marine sediments and deposits
- 1.1. Origin of marine sands
- 1.2. Basic sedimentology
- 1.3. Relict shelf deposits
- 1.4. Sandbanks and bars
- 1.5. Sand as a finite resource
Aggregate survey
- 2.1. Bathymetry and side-scan sonar
- 2.2. Seismic profilers
- 2.3. Vibrocores and sampling
- 2.4. Grain-size analysis
- 2.5. Volume estimation
Dredging and extraction
- 3.1. Types of dredger
- 3.2. Trailing suction hopper dredgers
- 3.3. Transport and discharge of material
- 3.4. Productivity and costs
- 3.5. Safety of operations
Uses: construction and beach nourishment
- 4.1. Aggregates for construction
- 4.2. Beach nourishment and replenishment
- 4.3. Sediment compatibility
- 4.4. Designing a nourishment scheme
- 4.5. Durability and maintenance
Environmental impact and management
- 5.1. Effects on benthos and fisheries
- 5.2. Turbidity and sediment plumes
- 5.3. Effects on coastal dynamics
- 5.4. International guidelines and authorizations
- 5.5. Practical case: assessment of an extraction area for beach nourishment
Duration and format of the Marine Sand and Aggregates Course
It is 300 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Marine Sand and Aggregates Course
Career opportunities after the Marine Sand and Aggregates Course
Questions about the Marine Sand and Aggregates Course
Because global demand is very high and not all sand is suitable for every use; international bodies have warned about unsustainable extraction.
Yes, in general terms: authorization frameworks, environmental assessment and international good-practice guidelines.
Yes. Beach nourishment is one of the central applications of the course, from sediment compatibility to scheme design.
No. The fundamentals of sedimentology and dredging are explained during the course.
You assess a sand extraction area intended to nourish a beach, considering volumes, compatibility and environmental effects.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied practical case. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at students and graduates in civil engineering, geology, marine sciences, environmental sciences or related fields, coastal administration staff, dredging professionals, environmental consultants and other specialists in the maritime and coastal sector.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.