OUsnakebyte April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 Hello all - I still have a few openings for my Coral Reef Ecology course that I teach at George Mason University each summer, and I inquired about posting the announcement here for the WAMAS community. The course is geared toward undergrads, but it is also available as a grad (degree or non-degree) course as well. For biology students, it counts toward a 400 level biology elective, but this year I was also able to get it cross listed with Environmental Science and Policy. And, you don't necessarily have to be a GMU student; credits *should* transfer to your university, but double check with your advisor/department about that. But, if you are a non-degree graduate student looking to learn more or a working professional who just wants to know what you are looking at underwater, then that is perfectly fine too. I've even had accounting majors take this class as an elective! My prerequisites are this: 1) I need you to have a sense of adventure. If all you want to do is sit on the boat and sunbathe or fish all day, don't apply for this class. I need people who want to see and explore some of the most amazing habitats I've ever had the opportunity to see. 2) I need you to be low maintenance. I'm stuck on a 65' sailboat with you the entire week and can't get away. I don't need or want drama. About the course: This is a field-based course designed to get students out of the classroom and into the field. We spend the week in The Bahamas on a live-aboard dive boat - eat on the boat, sleep on the boat, dive from the boat. We move locations after almost every dive, so we get to see a number of different habitats (and also do a snorkel through mangroves). For the week on the boat, we will pull in about 15-19 dives (including night dives). We do of course have an in-class component where I briefly cover the geologic history of coral reefs, the biology and formation of reefs, different reef zones and ecology of those zones, coral biology and physiology, decline and conservation and a select covering of other reef invertebrates (primarily looking at the different phyla). As the field component takes place in the Exumas Land and Sea Park of The Bahamas, there is also a component dedicated to learning about 50 of the mist common Caribbean reef fish (common name only) and about 50 of the most common reef-building corals (scientific names) and the 5 most common reef algae (genus level only). Where/when appropriate - and depending on conditions - I'm also going to be teaching how to conduct reef surveys. We will do this by using photo and/or video transects and doing photo quadrats. Really, I just want students to see/learn some of the tools we use to assess reef health by measuring coral vs algal coverage. And, to do this, you need to know what species you are looking at, of course... I meet with the class at least 6 times before departing to give lectures, go over identification and administer exams. There are also assigned readings we cover. Of course, most of the learning happens while on the boat, as there is only so much you can learn from a picture or reading. SCUBA CERTIFICATION IS NOT REQUIRED. I cannot, nor would I ever, force a student to dive. However, you stand to miss A LOT if you do not dive. If you are not certified but can take the classroom/pool session before we leave in June, then you can do your certification dives on this trip - in The Bahamas - and not in the Virginia quarry... We build time into the trip for these certification dives (toward the beginning of the trip, of course). The trip dates are from June 21-27, and I meet with the class at GMU from 7-10pm a few select weekdays two weeks prior to the trip. As you can see from the announcement below, the cost is inclusive of tuition (but will be slightly higher for grad students - contact me for more info) and does not differ for out-of-state students, airfare to/from Nassau, the cost of the live-aboard including meals for the week, and all transfer fees. The only thing extra is the cost of gear rental if you need it (BC, regulator and dive computer). If you have any questions, please let me know. Following is the course announcement I use, and a few, select pictures of past trips: Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 Oh wow. I would love to be able to do this. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RW09903 April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 Only if I didn't get motion sickness. I learned the hard way on a deep sea fishing trip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 Oh my gosh that look SO awesome! If only I could leave my animals for a week =( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte April 1, 2014 Author Share April 1, 2014 Only if I didn't get motion sickness. I learned the hard way on a deep sea fishing trip It happens almost every year - even to me sometimes. Happily, it usually passes in the first day or two, and then everyone is fine. But, the patches that fit behind the ear usually help most people a lot. And, it's not really that choppy - we are on the lee sides of the island most of the week, and it's usually calm. The only time it's really that rough is when we are passing the channel to the Exumas. Oh my gosh that look SO awesome! If only I could leave my animals for a week =( You can always get a tank sitter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbartco April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 And this is the same week as the Roatan trip.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 Sounds fantastic. Am I the only one who can't see the course announcement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte April 1, 2014 Author Share April 1, 2014 And this is the same week as the Roatan trip.... Brutal - I didn't even see that... :( Sounds fantastic. Am I the only one who can't see the course announcement? Hmmmm... not sure. I just saved the course announcement to jpgs and posted them as pictures. So, if you can see the pictures/course info, then that's it. Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LCDRDATA April 1, 2014 Share April 1, 2014 (edited) Brutal - I didn't even see that... :( Hmmmm... not sure. I just saved the course announcement to jpgs and posted them as pictures. So, if you can see the pictures/course info, then that's it. Cheers Mike That's weird - I looked at it before in two different browsers, and nothing there; now I look in one of the same browsers and there they are! What a great deal! Just out of curiosity, any tuition difference for graduate vs undergraduate credit? Edited April 1, 2014 by LCDRDATA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davelin315 April 2, 2014 Share April 2, 2014 Graduate tuition is $2,866.00 based on the difference between in-state graduate and undergraduate tuition (can you tell that I'm signing up for this?). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squishie89 April 2, 2014 Share April 2, 2014 You can always get a tank sitter... Unfortunately the problem is my birds/parrots ha! Looks like an amazing trip/class! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryL April 2, 2014 Share April 2, 2014 this would be awesome...but i spent my spare $$ on house fixing upping... let me know if you do it next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueTricia April 3, 2014 Share April 3, 2014 I would possibly be in for next year! I don't have the vacation time at work to take this trip, and the trip I already have planned in Peru. (Or the $$ for that matter) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette April 3, 2014 Share April 3, 2014 And this is the same week as the Roatan trip.... I know, I was looking at that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattiejay6 April 4, 2014 Share April 4, 2014 Now that I know about this I am going to save up for next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte April 4, 2014 Author Share April 4, 2014 Yes, I do run the course every year. I used to run it in May but am now changing it to June - too difficult for it to be a spring semester/summer trip class. It's just easier to make it a summer term only - and the admin at GMU like it that way as well... I'm also going to apply for permits from the Bahamas Fisheries department to allow us to take lionfish on scuba (normally only spearfishing allowed is free diving). In addition to getting the invasives off the reef, I like to dissect out the gut contents for the students - or have them do it if they want to - and show them what the lions have been eating. The most I have ever speared on a dive is 37 at the blue hole outside of Nassau. The place was infested... Even found a mantis shrimp, recently consumed... But then, hard work is rewarded, and we eat the lionfish - very tasty... I only have 1 or 2 more berths open at this point. Welcome aboard, Dave. Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette April 4, 2014 Share April 4, 2014 I have been to that blue hole a few years ago, and I agree it is infested with lion fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte April 4, 2014 Author Share April 4, 2014 I have been to that blue hole a few years ago, and I agree it is infested with lion fish. The first Lionfish I ever saw in the Caribbean/western Atlantic was at that dive site - in 2006. That site was once a haven for juvenile wrasse and other juvenile fish, but going back year after year I've seen fewer and fewer juveniles... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBVette April 4, 2014 Share April 4, 2014 I was there I think in 2011, and there were a ton of large lions, not many fish. I asked the captain if I was missing something and he said its basically a dive location now b/c of the hole and not much else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefbox April 6, 2014 Share April 6, 2014 Are there any openings left for this course ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte April 6, 2014 Author Share April 6, 2014 Yes, there is. Email me at ehenley1@gmu.edu for more details. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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