Description
This course examines the coral reef environment including
its biology, geologic setting, chemical and physical characteristics,
and its relation to fossil coral reef environments and global
climate change and and sustainable management of a valuable coastal resource. It is designed for students who are SCUBA divers
and interested in the ecology of reef systems. The purpose of
the workshop is to focus observations on patterns (spatial and
temporal) in the coral reef environment that lead to an understanding
of the ecology of the reef system. Part of the course includes
identification of the principal corals, fishes, molluscs, algae,
and other marine organisms that constitute a major part of the
biota of coral reefs. The course also includes measurements of
physical and chemical characteristics of the coral reef environment
(tides, waves temperature, salinity, solar radiation, depth, etc.).
Accompanying these observations, students reflect on and compare
what they see with what they have read, and they share results
of their research with others in the form of presentations and
short papers. (PHOTOS: 2001,
2002, 2003,
)
Course Format
The course will consist of lectures, discussions, directed field
observations, and student group projects and presentations. SCUBA
diving is required. Each student will be given a logbook and a
dive slate to keep a detailed log of observations and measurements.
This course is dominated by field observations performed using
SCUBA. The location of the course in 2005 is Curaçao, Netherlands
Antilles. (click here for maps, photos,
other information on the course site)
Course Content and Requirements
The course has three parts:
1.
pre-trip,
2.
field experience, and
3.
post-trip.
1. Pre-trip
(three subparts):
A.
Web Identification: Corals, Algae, Fish
There are about 20 corals that are common, about 20 algae that
are common, and a great many fish that are common. Please
get familiar with their names and do your best to learn to identify
them. If you know the names, we can talk about them. If you can
identify them before arrival, you'll learn the less common ones
more easily. These websites are useful. Have fun with
them. The identificaiton
assignment is found on a separate course web page.
B.
Topic Paper and Presentation
(assigned
topics and core articles):
We have selected topics that we want the class to discuss while
we are in Curaçao. Research for the paper should "begin"
with the core article assigned for your topic. The topics and
the "beginning" papers are listed on the assigned
topics web page. It is expected that you will delve further
into the topic by reading additional research articles.
Length: The length
of the paper should be no more than 10 pages of text (bibliography,
figures, title page can be additional pages). This means that
you will have to stay focused, select material carefully, use
figures wisely, and synthesize, summarize, synthesize the ideas
you are trying to report. Please stick to the topic assigned
to you. Please let us help mentor your topic development.
Presentation: During the course,
you will be asked to summarize the topic as a 5 to 10 minute lecture
presentation and then help lead a discussion on your topic. To
prepare for this, you may want to have a list of questions that
you feel best extract discussion. You may want to prepare a powerpoint
presentation to assist your ideas. During the presentation, we
expect to have discussions, questions, differences of viewpoints,
etc. All of your colleagues will have read all of the core articles.
We will have a digital projector, and a modern Mac and a modern
Windows machine for you to use.
Submit the paper and presentation
electronically by July 5, 2007.
C. Pre-course readings:
PDF articles are available
on the web course site. The article
by Rachel Wood is an excellent summary of Coral Reef Ecology.
This article is required reading. The other articles are the
core articles for the specific discussions we will have during
the course. Please
read each of these articles before arriving on Curaçao.
Our experience is that there is little time to read them during
the field portion of the course.
Pre-trip
book reading
(Optional):
Davidson, Osha Gray; 1997; The Enchanted Braid
- Coming to terms with nature on the coral reef; John
Wiley and Sons, New York. 269 pp.
This is a very readable, excellent book. I enjoyed this book immensely
It is written by a journalist and is his sojourn into the world of coral reef
ecology.
2. Field Experience (Curaçao, Netherlands
Antilles)
A typical day will include 2 to 3 SCUBA dives during the day to
examine aspects of the reefs environment (some from boats, some
from shore). During these dives, you will be collecting observations
according to a reasearch plan that the class will generate. The
data collected during these days will be evaluated (statistics,
graphs, disucssions) and will generate modifications to the sampling
strategy and to our interpretations. Days will also include snorkel
dives to shallow shore environments, examination of elevated Pleistocene
reefs, analysis of previous data, and lectures and discussions.
There will be class night dives, and you will have additional
diving opportunities.
Reef sites will be selected to view specific coral types, reef
communities, wave conditions, etc.
Night dives and very early morning dives (SCUBA) will be made
to examine the differences between night and day communities and
behaviors of organisms.
3. Post Trip
For Graduate students and students receiving
Honors credit, a
written research proposal putting their research into a broader,
scientific context and utilizing primary literature is due by
August 12, 2008. Typically, this can be done by integrating
1. what YOU
HAVE SEEN during your field activities with
2.
what YOU HAVE HEARD
in discussions and presentations and
3.
what YOU HAVE READ .
Discuss with others some questions that have occurred based on
what you observe. Talk to us. Then write a short (5 page, double-spaced)
proposal
1.
outlining the question,
2. summarizing
the data you know that pertains
to that question,
3. then propose a method to get data to answer
your question.
WE CAN HELP ! ! WE WANT TO HELP ! ! PLEASE
LET US HELP! ! !
A post-trip group meeting to
review and summarize the course will be held in early September.
Prerequisites
Students must have permission of instructor. Each student must
be a certified SCUBA diver and should have previous experience
in tropical environments.
Evaluation
Your grade in the course will be earned according to the following
weighting system:
20 pts. Field: notes and observations
20 pts. Presentations (based on research done prior to
the field portion of the course)
30 pts. Participation (includes discussions of
lecture and field observations, field initiatives, etc.)
10 pts. Field identifications
20 pts. Final research presentations (based on research
done during to the field portion of the course) Final
grade will be based on 100 pts.
20 pts. Final written research project (for Graduate
students and students receiving Honors credit)
Graduate students and students receiving honors credit will
prepare a written research proposal putting their research
into a broader, scientific context and utilizing primary literature. Final
grade will be based on 120 pts.
COSTS:
1. Tuition and university fees
for 5 credit hours (this depends on your individual
circumstance)
2. Course fee of $500 covers diving,
boats, room (with breakfast), van transport, etc.
3. Air transportation to Curacao: (The roundtrip
cost from Cincinnati using Delta or American was about $728.
The least expensive airfare from Miami, Florida was $414.)
Each participant should arrange air transportation to arrive
in Curacao July 19 and depart July 26. Sometimes transportation is cheaper by extending the days in Curacao. Investigate coming a day early or staying a day longer. Last year, some
participants flew to Curacao via Aruba, via San Juan, etc.
because they could use frequent flyer miles. As soon
as you know your transportation information, let Mark Boardman
know (by email).
4. Additional costs we anticipate are
for meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and
personal items. For food, we will shop at a grocery store.
The rooms where we stay have full kitchens. In previous
years, food costs were about $100 per student.
email: Mark
Boardman or Hays
Cummins if you have questions.