New Mexico State University-Carlsbad is located in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert of Southeast New Mexico. While the area currently is approximately 600 miles from the nearest ocean, it is home to a world-famous Permian reef and a significant part of the local economy is based on materials formed from that marine environment.

The Fall 2008 semester was the first time Oceanography was offered on this campus. The use of the AMS Ocean Studies Course greatly facilitated bringing about this new course offering. Given the school's location and a lack of travel funds, field trips and other such activities were not possible. The use of the Current Ocean Studies activities and the Weekly Ocean News with the up to date data should spark student interest and provide a more participatory experience than standard lab activities.

The AMS Course Implementation Workshop held at the University of Washington during June 2008 benefited the instructor in providing information and experiences both in offering the class online and in current oceanographic research.