2006 COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT

Field Course in Coral Reef Ecology

INSTRUCTORS  Alfred Beulig, New College of Florida, email: beulig@ncf.edu 
Bruce Wright, Conservation Science Institute, email:
bruce.wright@conservationinstitute.org	and Carlos Ormond, Simon Fraser
University, email: cormond@sfu.ca 

LOCATION  The field courses will take place at the Bocas del Toro Biological
Station, Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro, Panama.  The station is
located on the Caribbean side of Panama and situated on a beach between
tropical rain forests and coral reefs.	Marine habitats include extensive
turtle grass beds, hard and soft coral reefs, beaches, rocky intertidals,
mangrove forests and estuaries.

COURSE LENGTH  Summer field courses are four weeks in length; Winter course
is three weeks in length. 

COURSE SCHEDULE  Summer Session B (15 June through 12 July), Summer Session
C (15 July through 11 August), Winter Session (20 December through 9
January).

COURSE DESCRIPTION  The course will briefly survey reef systems in various
parts of the world and focus in depth on Caribbean reefs.  Using the reefs
at Boca del Drago as examples, we will carry out an inventory of
representative reef biota to characterize a general reef community.  We will
examine several theories on the origins of coral reefs, discuss community
structure, biodiversity, chemical make-up, nutrient cycles and water
circulation in the reef ecosystem in exposed and protected environments. 
The course will emphasize field methods and compare several experimental
designs and sampling procedures for usefulness in various types of studies.
Both SCUBA and snorkeling will be employed during the course. If interested
students do not have SCUBA certification this will not limit them in the
course. Most work will take place during the day, but some night dives are
planned as well. 

INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH  During the first 10 days of the course students will
conduct field exercises to gain experience in the use of sampling equipment
and methods used in coral reef research and monitoring.  Students will
prepare a written research proposal and conduct an original research project
of their choosing.  Students will carry out their project during latter half
of the course and present their findings in and end-of-course symposium at
the field station.

COURSE CREDIT  Up to six units of credit will be granted for these courses. 
Credit must be arranged by the student through his/her academic advisor and
university.  Contact ITEC for details.

TUITION  $1800 USD.  Tuition fee includes all room and board, local
transportation and a three-day field trip to the Boquete cloud forests. 

CONTACT  Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation (ITEC); 1023 SW 2nd
Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601; phn: 352-367-9128, fax: 352-367-0610, email:
itec@itec-edu.org., or the above instructors.  Please visit us on the web at
www.itec-edu.org.  ITEC is a Non-profit (501c3) organization.

