Summer Course in Los Roques, Venezuela.

[Ernesto Weil]

Fundación Cientifica Los Roques.

Coral reef Biology and Ecology. 

July 2 - 14, 2000. 

The Fundación Científica los Roques (FCLR), the University of Puerto Rico and the Universidad Simon Bolivar announce the second intensive summer course in coral reef biology and ecology. The course will take place at the Dos Mosquises Marine Laboratory of the FCLR located on the southwest corner of the Archipiélago Los Roques National Park, an atoll-like reef complex 110 km north of the Venezuelan main coast. This reef complex boasts some of the best developed and diverse coral reefs in the Caribbean, it is far away from continental influence and has minimum anthropogenic impacts.

The course concentrates on topics such as evolution of reef communities, clonality as an evolutionary successful strategy, biology and ecological roles of sponges, octocorals and scleractinian corals, coral diseases, current anthropogenic and natural threats, ecological methods and a special session on sea-grass communities and interaction with reefs. Two hour of lecture are given in the mornings and evenings (4h/day) with about 6h/day of field and lab work. Students work the data gathered, plan and give presentations of results at the end. Field and lab work will include taxonomic identification, reef and sea-grass community characterization and structure, reef status assessment, coral diseases, identification and incidence, ecological and monitoring methods, etc. Each student must prepare a 15 minute seminar talk on a topic about coral reefs before arriving to Los Roques. 


The course is intended for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Strong backgrounds in evolution ecology and biology of tropical marine invertebrates are required. Diving certification and more that 100 logged dives. The Fundación Científica Los Roques reserves the right to reject applications that do not comply with the requirements


Faculty :


Ernesto Weil, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Dep. of Marine Sciences. U. of Puerto Rico, and Associate Researcher of the Fundación Cientifica Los Roques..


Sven Zea, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Department of Biology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-INVEMAR.


David Bone, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Department of Biology U. Simón Bolívar, Caracas. Venezuela.




Cost: The course cost is US $ 1,000.00 per student. This includes tuition fees, dive activities, room and board, round trip transportation from Caracas, limited insurance and registration. Each participant will be required to sign a liability release form at arrival. 


Pre-Registration: At this time we are requesting a letter stating your interest in the course. The letter should also include a statement of why you want to take the course, information about your background (courses taken, school, degrees, etc.) and what do you expect to gain from this course. Letters should be send to Dr. Ernesto Weil at the address below or via e-mail. Selected applicants will be notified via e-mail by the end of February and the application guidelines will be sent out.

Dr. Ernesto Weil
Depart. of Marine Sciences, UPR
PO BOX 908 Lajas PR 00667
Ph. (787) 899-2048 x. 241
FAX (787) 899-2630/899-5500.
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