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Photos from Previous Classes |
Tropical Marine
Biology is an intensive 2-week field course conducted at the Caribbean Marine Research Center on Lee Stocking
Island, Bahamas. Through daily lectures and field excursions, 
you
will be exposed to the natural history and ecology of a variety of tropical
marine organisms and
ecosystems including
mangroves, seagrasses, rocky shores, and coral reefs.
Tropical Marine
Biology is held on Lee Stocking Island at the Caribbean Marine
Research Center - one of six National
Undersea Research Centers administered by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. Lee Stocking Island is one of
the many Exuma Cays which form the boundary between the shallow
Great Bahama Bank and the deep (>2000 meters) Exuma Sound.
This geographic location affords an unique opportunity to study
a varied collection of tropical habitats,
consisting of shallow and deep coral reefs, subtidal and intertidal
mud/sand flats with mangroves, submerged carbonate 
terraces, subsea
caves, blue holes, grassbeds, ooid shoals, stromatolites, tidal channels and
deep-sea habitats, all within ten minutes of LSI's dock. Moreover, the low
degree of commercial development and fishing pressure in the area has
safeguarded the pristine nature of these habitats.
Facilities at Lee Stocking Island are used
by scientists from around the world to conduct research in a diverse
range of disciplines. The Caribbean Marine Research Center (CMRC) was created in
1984 by the Perry Institute for Marine Science, Inc., to address the critical
issues associated with escalating environmental degradation as well as other
problems related to living marine resources and marine geological processes of
the Caribbean, Florida and other tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
To download a copy of the Caribbean Marine Research Center's Visitor Information
Guide click here (NOTE:
This is a 1.74 MB PDF file and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader for
viewing).
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Afternoon Evening |
Arrive - Lee Stocking Island Introduction to Course Video: "City of Coral" |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Orientation Lecture: The tropics in a global context: Climate and geology Field: Swim check-outs, dive check-outs Field: Snorkeling/diving excursion Lecture: Introduction to data analysis |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Introduction to sponges
and cnidarians Field/Lab: Biology of sponges Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Bryozoans, mollusks,
annelids, arthropods, echinoderms Field/Lab: Biology of cnidarians with emphasis on corals Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Biology of tropical
fishes Field: Patterns in Coral Reef Fishes Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Mangroves, grassbeds,
and plankton Field/Lab: Biology of Cassiopea, Mangrove adaptations Lab: Biology of Cassiopea (continued), discussion |
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- | Study Day |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Reef productivity,
growth, and structure Field/Lab: Comparison of community structure in seagrass beds Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Biology of Tropical
Fishes (continued) Field/Lab: Fishes by Day, Twilight, and Night Field/Lab: Data collection, data analysis, and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Mechanisms of reproduction
and dispersal Field: Coral reef community structure: Comparison of methods and depths Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Lecture: Reef instability:
Natural and human-caused Field: Measurement of coral color using RGB analysis Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Field: Reef Check surveys Field: Measurements of coral color using RGB analysis (continued) Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
Field: Reef Check surveys
(continued) Field: Reef Check surveys (complete) Lab: Data analysis and discussion |
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Morning Afternoon Evening |
FINAL EXAM Field: Trip to Iguana Island and Stromatolites End of class reception |
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Morning | Depart Lee Stocking Island |
Course
Requirements:
General Biology or equivalent and permission of instructor.
Ability to swim 400 yds non-stop and tread water for 10 minutes.
Major medical insurance coverage
Current CPR and Basic First Aid.
Minimum of basic open water scuba certification recommended, but
not required.
If you plan to scuba dive you will also need the following:
Completed CMRC medical physical exam and approval to scuba dive
by a physician.
Membership in the Diver's Alert Network as well as updated certification
in Diver's Alert Network Oxygen Administration for Scuba Diving
Injuries.
To download a copy of CMRC's medical diving requirements form and medical
evaluation form click
here and
here (Note: Requires
Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Number of credit hours: 4 for Georgia Southern University students (undergraduate or graduate options) and for students outside Georgia Southern that receive prior approval from their home institutions.
Course Fee: $2,200 + tuition ($372)
The $2,200 fee provides round-trip transportation to Lee Stocking
Island from Miami, lodging, 3 meals per day, as well as all boat,
scuba diving, and laboratory expenses. Additional costs to the
student include: Bahamas exit tax ($15.00), textbooks (approx.
$90.00), and CPR and Basic First Aid certification (check with
your local Red Cross for the price of these courses). If you plan
to scuba dive you will also need Diver's Alert Network Insurance
($54.00) and must incur all charges related to the diving medical
exam and any other components needed to meet the laboratory scuba
diving requirements.
Non-Georgia Southern University Students:
If you are enrolled at another institution besides Georgia Southern
University you are still encouraged to participate. You can receive
credit at your home institution 
as long as
they approve the course and by
enrolling as a transient student at Georgia Southern for the summer.
If you are an out-of-state student you will pay the regular program
fees and tuition plus a $250.00 out-of-state processing fee. Information on
becoming a transient student for the summer and an
application for admission can be obtained at the Office of Admissions web site
at the following link:
http://admissions.georgiasouthern.edu/
If interested, contact one of the instructors to
receive a student information sheet (NOTE:
The student information sheet that we will forward to you MUST be filled
out completely and returned to us before we can approve you for participation in
this course):
Dr. Daniel F. Gleason
Georgia Southern University
Department of Biology
P.O. Box 8042
Statesboro, GA 30460-8042
Phone: 912-681-5957
e-mail: dgleason@georgiasouthern.edu
Dr. Stephen P. Vives
Georgia Southern University
Department of Biology
P.O. Box 8042
Statesboro, GA 30460-8042
Phone: 912-681-5954
e-mail: svives@georgiasouthern.edu
