| Biology 320 Spring 2013 3 credits |
Tropical Biology - San Salvador 2013 |
|---|
Pre/Co-requisites:
Oceanic Island Ecology Biology 319 (1 cr) and Permission of Instructor
| Instructors: | Office | Phone | Email Address |
| Dr. Charles Booth | Science 357 | 860-465-5260 | booth@easternct.edu |
| Dr. Ross Koning | Science 356 | 860-465-5327
860-933-2712 | koning@easternct.edu |
| Dr. Joshua Idjadi | Science 365 | 860-465-0034 | idjadij@easternct.edu |
Course Objectives:
The 2013 announcement is available for our May 2013 trip. Tropical Biology--San Salvador provides students with an opportunity to study first-hand the biology of tropical terrestrial and marine ecosystems. It involves an intensive ten-day field experience on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, at the College of the Bahamas' Gerace Research Centre (GRC). San Salvador's flora and fauna include both native and intorduced species, making the island a natural laboratory for studying island biogeography. Marine studies will focus on coral reef, seagrass bed, mangrove, beach, and rocky shore communities. Terrestrial studies will examine cave, sand dune, and upland shrub communities. In addition to their field studies, studenst will experience the enchanting culture of a Bahamian "out-island."
While on the island, you will keep a field notebook that includes descriptions of your daily field and class experiences. Nightly lab sessions and discussions will supplement each day's field observations. After returning from San Salvador, you will turn in three papers based upon your field experiences and literature-research that focus upon the terrestrial and marine ecosystems of San Salvador.
Required Textbooks:
Kaplan, E. H. 1988. Southeastern and Caribbean Seashores. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton-Mifflin, Boston. 425 pp.
Plus ONE of the following (your choice, complement with two friends):
Chaplin, C. G. and P. Scott. 1972. Fishwatchers Guide to West Atlantic Coral Reefs. Livingston Publishing Co., Wynnewood, PA. 65 pp.
Kaplan, E. H. 1982. A Field Guide to Coral Reefs of the Caribbean and Florida Including Bermuda and the Bahamas. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 289 pp. (out of print; used copies available on the internet)
Littler, D. S., M. M. Littler, K. E. Bucher, and J. N. Norris. 1989. Marine Plants of the Caribbean. Smithsonian Institution. Airlife Publishing, Shrewsbury. England. 263 pp. (out of print)
Resources:
What to Bring
Flight Information
Climate Information
Tide Table
2013 Essay Questions
Gerace Research Centre Publications:
Boardman, M. and C. Carney. 1996. Pigeon Creek and Tidal Delta: A Field Trip Guide. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 8 pp. (out of print)
Diehl, F. A., D. Mellon, Jr., R. H. Garrett, and N. Elliott. 1988. A Field Guide to the Invertebrates of San Salvador. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 105 pp. (out of print).
Hinman, G. 1994. A Teacher's Guide to the Depositional Environments on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 65 pp. (out of print).
Lawson, B. M. 1993. Shelling San Sal. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 63 pp. (out of print).
Onac, B. P., J. Sumrall, J. E. Mylroie, and J. Kearns. 2008. Cave Minerals of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. University of South Florida Libraries, Karst Studies Series. 70 pp. (www.karstportal.org).
Richardson, J. P. and G. Mitchell. 1994. Field Guide to Common Marine Algae of San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 91 pp. (out of print).
Smith, R. R. 1993. Field Guide to the Vegetation of San Salvador Island, The Bahamas. 2nd Edition. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 120 pp. (out of print).
White, V. 1985. The Outermost Island: An Oral History of San Salvador, The Bahamas. Bahamian Field Station, San Salvador, Bahamas. 77 pp. (out of print).
Terrestrial Dune Transect Survey
Marine Intertidal Transect Survey
Some historical documents as well:
Requirements:
Because of the unique nature of an international field course, its success depends on the full cooperation and participation of everyone involved. You are expected to have an attitude of responsibility, curiosity, and commitment. To complete the course with a passing grade and use it for upper-level biology major/minor credit, you must:
Supplemental Readings: (available for downloading at http://plantphys.info)
Carlquist, S. 1981. Chance Dispersal. Scientific American. 69: 509-516.
Case, T.J. and M.L. Cody. 1987. Testing theories of island biogeography. Amer.Sci. 75: 402-411.
Goreau, T.F., N.I. Goreau, and T.J. Goreau. 1979. Corals and coral reefs. Sci. Amer. 241(2): 124-136.
Sealey, N. 2006. Bahamian landscapes. 3rd ed. Media Publishing, Nassau, Bahamas. Introduction (pp. viii-ix); Chapter 1 (pp. 1-13).
Additional references pertaining to the assigned essays and field report will also be posted at http://plantphys.info.
Grading:
The course grade for BIO 320 will be based on participation in the field and participation in class discussions while on San Salvador (20%), and the quality of the essays submitted upon your return (80%).
Accessibility:
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact the Office of AccessAbility Services at (860) 465-5573, as soon as possible. Please note that we cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until we have received an accommodation letter from the Office of AccessAbility Services. Your cooperation is appreciated. As BIO 320 Tropical Biology - San Salvador is a field course conducted in a foreign country, it may or may not be possible to provide suitable accommodations, so your earliest attention to accessibility issues is essential.
This page © Ross E. Koning 1994.
Go to the Course Schedule Page.
Go to the Plant Physiology Information Homepage.
Send comments and bug reports to Ross Koning at rkoning@snet.net.