Marine Biology -

Field Studies on a Coral Reef Island of the Caribbean

During Summer 2009 a group of students will participate in an exciting introductory marine field course at the Roatan Institute of Marine Science (RIMS) at Anthony’s Key Resort on Roatan Island (one of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras). This 15-day trip will emphasize the ecological study of marine habitats associated with coral reef islands. Participants will explore coral reefs (near-shore down to 100 ft), sea grass beds, intertidal zones, and mangrove lagoons.
Students will investigate the barrier coral reef during boat dives (1-2 per day) and snorkeling trips. There will also be opportunities to swim with dolphins and probably gain field experience in dolphin training techniques.

Coursework

Lectures and informal discussion periods daily on the island will emphasize coral reef organisms and reef ecology, but general aspects of marine sciences will also be discussed. Some pre-trip meetings will be held to prepare both for the trip in general and for identification of fish and marine invertebrates. Grades will be based on a field notebook, lecture exams, and a report based on small-group research projects conducted in the island's marine habitats.

KU Faculty

The course instructor will be Dr. James H. Thorp, a Professor in KU’s Dept. of Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology and a Senior Scientist in the Kansas Biological Survey. He has led many marine trips to the Caribbean with students, including recent trips to Belize, Bonaire, and Roatan with KU students.

Accommodations

All participants will stay at Anthony’s Key Resort (www.anthonyskey.com) with multiple students per room. Food will be provided by the excellent staff at the resort.

Dates

June 20 - July 4, 2009

Eligibility

No course pre-requisites are required, and students in all majors are welcome as long as they realize that the course can be more challenging to non-biologists.

Enrollment for the trip is limited to ~12 students. Both scubacertified and snorkeling-only students are welcome, but students are strongly encouraged to become open-water, scuba-certified before the trip. Both options cost the same, but scuba-certified students will have priority if enrollment is limited. Final certification in Roatan is possible, but it is much more expensive and takes 2-3 days.

Credit

Participating students must enroll in Biol 418 or 701 (both are 3-credit hr courses in marine biology).

Cost

Program Fee: Approximately $4,090 ($4,290 for non-KU students.) The program fee includes international airfare, airport transfers, room and board, dives, orientation, emergency medical evacuation and repatriation services, and administrative costs.


Tuition and Fees: Estimated tuition and fees for 3 credit hours (based on standard tuition rate): $620.00 *

*Actual expenses for KU students will vary by the student’s individual tuition compact. Non-KU students will pay the standard tuition rate listed above.

Additional costs: Estimated Additional Expenses: Domestic airfare (approx. $600), books/supplies, personal expenses, passport fees, pre-trip scuba instruction, scuba equipment rental and dive insurance. Graduate students will pay a differential for graduate credit.

Note

All dates, costs, and program information are subject to change as necessary due to fluctuations in the exchange rate or other reasons.

Financial Aid

KU students who qualify for summer financial aid in the form of Stafford and/or other loans, Pell or SEOG Grants, and scholarships may apply the aid to the cost of a Study Abroad Program.

Limited supplemental scholarships are available to KU undergraduates. Applications are available at the Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the scholarship application. The scholarship application deadline is March 1.

Non-KU students should check into the financial resources available to them at their home institutions.

Application Procedures

Application Deadline: March 1, 2009. Early application is strongly encouraged.

Applications are available in the KU Office of Study Abroad. You can also download the application.

(Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to download an application. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader you can download it for FREE.)

For more information contact:

Professor James H. Thorp
Senior Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
Professor, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Senior Scientist, Kansas Biological Survey
142 Higuchi Hall
phone: 785-864-1532
e-mail: thorp@ku.edu

or

The University of Kansas
Office of Study Abroad
Lippincott Hall
1410 Jayhawk Blvd. Room 108
Lawrence, KS 66045-7515
phone: 785-864-3742
fax: 785-864-5040
e-mail: osa@ku.edu