[Coral-List] Summer School at the Maldives

Massimo Boyer - massimo@kudalaut.com massimo at edge-of-reef.com
Tue Jun 4 12:10:45 EDT 2013


SUMMER SCHOOL in coral reef ecology at Maldives. KORALLIONLAB, a new lab 
on Vavvaru island, Lhaviyani atoll, offers in august and september a 
summer school, duration 10 days, open to 8 undergraduate students. I 
will be involved as teacher, at least for the august courses. Official 
language: English. If interested, or if you know somebody that can be 
interested, please contact me as soon as possible. Available places are 
running out. Complete info downloadable here: 
http://kudalaut.com/news/Summer-School-in-Coral-Reef-Ecology.-Maldives,-august-2013_46.htm

Korallionlab is offering 8 students the possibility to participate on an 
International Course
focusing on coral reef ecology.

Based  on  Vavvaru  Island,  Lhaviyani  Atoll,  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  
Korallionlab  offers  many
different reef habitats for potential research projects: from tracts of 
reef with ~100% coral
cover,  patch  reefs  within  the  sandy  lagoon  and  large  coral  
bommies,  which  are  often
frequented by manta rays.

There is accommodation for up to 8 students at a time, with beach front 
huts furnished
with beds, showers, toilets and a private deck.

There  is  a  purpose  built  wet  lab  for  tank  based  experiments  
which  has  sea  water  flow
through and a dry lab adjacent, kitted out with high quality research 
equipment including
fluorescence  and  stereo  microscopes,  micro-centrifuges,  autoclaves  
and  DNA  extraction
facilities (including the ability to make dry ice).
The main reef can be easily reached by snorkeling and diving is not 
essential for your work
to be carried out here.


COURSE LOCATION: Vavvaru Island, Lhaviyani atoll, Maldives

COURSE LENGTH: 10 days


DATES:

04-08-2013/13-08-2013
13-08-2013/22-08-2013
22-08-2013/31-08-2013
31-08-2013/09-09-2013
09-09-2013/18-09-2013


REGISTRATION DEADLINE: July 15 th  2013.  Each 10 day course is limited 
to only 8 students
and applications will be evaluated as they arrive.





  COURSE DESCRIPTION

This  course  is  designed  to  provide  the  student  with  a  sound  
foundation  in  ecological
concepts, survey techniques and experimental design in field research 
applied to coral reef
ecosystems. The course is designed on the reef ecology of Maldives, an 
atoll country with
one of the more interesting and diverse reef formation in all the Indian 
Ocean.

We  will  provide  a  brief  introduction  on  coral  ecology,  
focusing  on  corals  and  other
members associated with them. We will cover lecturers on coral anatomy, 
physiology and
ecological requirements. We will also assess the roles on the reef and 
cover ways the reefs
are  being  impacted  by  both  anthropogenic  and  natural  factors.  
Reef  health  sampling
techniques  will  be  discussed  and  practiced  in  the  field  and  
we  will  go  over  numerous
experimental designs and sampling schemes aimed at describing the reef 
community as a
whole.



Class Lectures

Lectures will present topics that provide a background for the field 
work in an interactive
discussion format. Topics are selected to permit students to develop an 
awareness of the
objectives of research on coral reefs as well as an appreciation of 
modern theoretical and
practical issues in ecology.
   -Coral Ecology
   -Threats to Coral Reefs
   -Survey Methods for Assessing Coral Health (inc lectures on coral 
disease)
   -Laboratory  Techniques  for  assessing Microbial  Communities  
Associated  with  Coral
Reefs
   -Field Work Briefings Lecture


Group Exercises

Students  will  practice  diving/snorkeling  on  several  sites  in  
the  vicinity  of  the  station
(covering the variety of different habitats we have available around the 
island including the
  Fore  Reef,  Reef  Crest  and  the  Wall.    Students  will  be  
organized  into  dive  team  groups
(depending on their qualifications) and will carry out field 
observations or data collection
which will contribute to ongoing data collection as part of a long term 
study conducted by
the marine laboratory. These experiences in the reef habitats and survey 
methods will then
allow the students to carry out their own individual research projects.

In the evening, students will participate in "debriefing sessions" 
during which they will try
to identify the reef organisms they saw during the dives of the day.

Individual Research Projects
Each  student  will  be  expected  to  prepare  a  brief,  original  
project  in  consultation  with
instructors.  Projects  may  be  suggested  by  observations  made  
during  group  exercises  or
from the class lectures, and will be evaluated on the basis of 
feasibility in the available time,
experimental design and concept. During the final two days of the 
course, data analysis will
be carried out and students will present their results orally in an 
end-of-course symposium.






TUITION: 1.500,00 USD.  Fee includes; lab use, lodging and meals 
(beverage excluded) and
dive tanks.


PLEASE  NOTE:  International  flights  and  Seaplane  transfers  from  
Male  to  Vavvaru  (USD
450,00) are not included in the above price. We will however organize 
your seaplane when
you have booked your international flights.


COURSE CREDIT: Credit will be given, based on agreement with the 
student's institutions.
  A letter grade will be assigned based on proposals, oral presentation 
as well as attendance
and participation in lecture/discussion and engagement in the material.
In  the  field/lab  portion,  students  will  be  evaluated  on  the  
basis  of  safe  diving  practice,
development  of  observational  and  data  collecting  skills,  
reliability  as  a  dive  partner  and
preparedness to go into the field with data collecting equipment and 
dive gear in order and
ready.  Other, less tangibles such as personal attitude, motivation and 
contribution to the
course will also be noted.



NOTE:  Diving  certification  is  not  necessary  for  this  course,  
but  International  diving
certificate,  diving  insurance  and  medical  certificates  are  
necessary  for  joining  any  scuba
diving activities.
Non certified people, will participate in snorkeling projects.



INSTRUCTOR:

The course will be run by
-  coral  reef  ecologist  Dr  Mike  Sweet,  PhD  from  the  Coral  
Health  and  Disease
Laboratory, Newcastle University, UK

His  specialties  include:  Coral  Reef  Ecology,  Coral  Reef  Survey  
Techniques,  Coral  Disease,
Marine Diseases in General, Microbiology, Molecular Profiling 
Techniques, Histology


-  coral  reef  ecologist  Dr  Massimo  Boyer,  PhD  from  
Environmental  Marine  Science,
Genova University, Italy

His specialties includes : fish ecology, reef ecology, reef survey and 
monitoring, behavioral
ecology of reef organisms, SCUBA Diving Instructor


-- 

Kudalaut viaggi: www.kudalaut.com
Kudalaut photo: www.kudalaut.eu
Scientific Editor of the web magazine www.scubazone.it
Aurora liveaboard: www.auroraliveaboard.com
Sea Life Database: www.seadb.net
Massimo Boyer's webpage: www.edge-of-reef.com
Skype contact: kudalaut61
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/massimo.boyer
LinkedIn profile: http://it.linkedin.com/in/massimoboyer
Indirizzo di posta elettronica certificata: massimo.boyer at pec.it



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