BAHAMAS
COASTAL CARBONATE ENVIRONMENTS

PROPOSED TRIP ITINERARY
for: GLG 414 /514
May 14 - 28, 2005

PHOTO GALLERY
June 2000 trip
June 2001 trip
June 2002 trip
June 2003 trip

  This itinerary is a proposal. It is an idea. It is a wish based on expectations of weather, boat availability, other people's schedules. During the past 20 years that I have taughht this course, I've learned to be flexible about expecations in field course.

Saturday

Meet in Ft. Lauderdale Airport:  at Twin-Town Leasing air charter service
Fly to Andros; truck to Forfar Field Station
Afternoon:  Beach organisms

Sunday

Intertidal Flats and organisms
Species identification of plants and animals
Monday
 Lagoon Organisms sedimentary processes; variety, biodiversity
species identification of plants and animals
Tuesday
 Coastal vegetation; roots, stability, evidence of storms; invasive species
Wednesday
 Pigeon Cay - snorkel around this island - energy affects on lagoons and islands
Coral Reefs - snorkel on a barrier reef; biodiversity of reefs; variety of corals
Thursday
 Karst; water resources on small islands; trip to interior; well fields
Coral Reefs - snorkel on patch reefs; biodiveristy; types of reefs, reef fish
Friday

Blue Holes - large scale water systems; sea-level fluctuations
Geology of a carbonate island
Saturday
 Morgan's Bluff: another example of a sea-level highstand, climate change
Nichollstown fossil reef:  climate change; coastal evolution
Sunday
 Tidal Flats: mud, mud, and more mud.  Organisms; diversity in a highly stressed environment.
Red Bays Settlement:  culture and environmental change
Monday
 Joulters Cays:  sand, sand, and more sand: Organisms on small islands, sedimentary structures, variety of sediment and processes.
Tuesday

Fresh Creek;  large tidal creeks;
Inland water resources
Wednesday
 Calabash; Saddleback Cays
Lagoons again: Reefs again;  comparisons of variety of lagoons and reefs
Thursday
 Coconut Beach: Fresh water seeps; nearshore barrier reefs
Friday
 Review and reflection
Saturday
 Return

 

Grading:

The field course leaders will jointly determine your grade based on a combination of factors with an approximate weighting of:

 Field notebooks - first check  10%
 Midterm tests, quizzes  20%
 Final  30%
 Field notebook - final check  20%
 Discussions (field/lab/lecture) 20%

Your notebook will be mailed back to you.

     

E-mail to Mark Boardman

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