COURSE INFORMATION:

Students take one of the following courses:

BIOL 250: Field Studies in Coral Reef Biology (for non-majors) - 4 credits
BIOL 453: Field Studies in Coral Reef Biology (for majors) - 4 credits

PROGRAM INFORMATION:

This course introduces undergraduate students to the organismal biology, ecology, and conservation of the Caribbean coral reef ecosystem in the British Virgin Islands. The emphasis is placed on field methods and labs, including SCUBA-based field experiments that provide hands-on experience and contribute to ongoing research projects. Lectures cover the biodiversity, systematics, and population and community-level ecology of predominant species of macroalgae, fishes and invertebrates and are paired with onboard or in-water lab exercises. Critical conservation issues and management strategies for this complex ecosystem will also be introduced. The program is conducted aboard a multihull sailboat that serves as the dormitory, classroom, and research platform. Each day the class sails to a new island in the archipelago to investigate and explore new habitats, and receive practical training in the nautical sciences and SCUBA that prepare them to be a competent member of a research crew or field team. The program is conducted in collaboration with a 501(c)3 organization called the Marine science And Nautical Training Academy (MANTA, www.manta-online.org).

Students participating in this course should expect the following conditions/activities: snorkeling, SCUBA diving, swimming, hiking, tropical summer heat, sailing, lifting scuba tanks, living aboard a boat, and prolonged physical activity.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR:

Dr. Rusty Day
Biology Department/Grice Marine Lab
dayrd@cofc.edu or rusty.day@manta-online.org
843-762-8904

Dr. Rusty Day is an Adjunct Professor of Biology at CofC and a research biologist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the Hollings Marine Laboratory. He has a diverse scientific background that includes tropical field ecology, fisheries, wildlife toxicology, and chemical tracers in marine organisms. Dr. Day has directed the BVI study abroad program since 2010 and is also a PADI Scuba Instructor, licensed U.S. Coast Guard Captain, and the founder and director of MANTA.