HON 120, BIO 463 or BIO 463 + BIOL 463 or BIO 491 
Caribbean Coral Reefs 
SYLLABUS FOR SPRING OF 2011	

INSTRUCTOR: 	Dr. Alina M. Szmant, office CMS Rm 1325
			Telephone: 962-2362; Email: szmanta@uncw.edu

OFFICE HOURS: 	CMS:   by appointment (call or email)

CLASS MEETS:  	TBD 	
			
GRADING:				

Class attendance and participation	40 %
Field notebook				30 %
Individual report			30 %
Total					100 %

A =  94 to 100 pts; A- = 90 - 93
B =  83 to 87 pts; B+ = 88-89; B- = 80-82
C =  73 to 77 pts; C+ = 78-79; C- = 70-72
D =   60 to 69 pts
F =   < 60 pts
Class Format:  
	The objective of this course is for students to gain a first-hand experience seeing Caribbean coral reefs, and to gain understanding of aspects of the geology and ecology of these reefs, during a spring break field trip to Curacao, Dutch West Antilles. As a ‘study abroad course’, there were also be activities scheduled during the trip to learn about the history and culture of Curacao.  In preparation for the trip, students will either enroll in my coral reef ecology lecture course (BIO 463 with or without BIOL 463 lab) or  enroll in either HON 120 or BIO 491 and attend several introductory lectures, read assigned general, background articles (4 evening sessions TBD before trip; 3 sessions after trip).  Each student will chose one taxon from a list, read about them before the trip, and then make observations on their group during the field dives.  They will write a report and give an oral presentation about their organisms that will be worth 30 % of their grade.  
	During the field trip, students will make careful notes of what they observe each day in a field notebook (to be provided).  Notebooks will be graded (30 % of grade).  Each day during the trip we will have observation assignments for the various dives.  We will have class discussions daily to go over what was seen or done that day.  Participation in the discussions and effort in general, make up 40 % of the grade.  There will be no final exam.  Classes will end after the oral presentations are done.

The Department of Biological Sciences Strongly Supports the Academic Honor Code as Stated in “The Student Handbook and Code of Student Life” and Will Not Tolerate Academic Dishonesty.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Date	Activity	
		
TBD	Introduction:  Lecture on reef morphology and growth 
(BIO 463 and BIO 480 students do not need to attend these lectures)	
TBD	Lecture:  Ecology of coral reefs and dominant flora and fauna
(BIO 463 and BIO 480 students do not need to attend these lectures)	
TBD	All students:  Discuss field trip daily plan; select individual projects	
TBD	Travel logistics	
12-19  Mar (Sa – Sa)	SPRING BREAK TRIP	
TBD	Presentation of projects (4 students)	
TBD	Presentation of projects (4 students)	
TBD	Presentation of projects (4 students)	

Draft of Field Trip Program Itinerary

Saturday 12
9:00 ?  am	Meet at ILM on your own.  Depart ILM at ca 9 am on US Air connecting with AA in Miami;  arrive Curacao ca. 8 pm  [possibly we will fly out of RDU if much cheaper]
9:00-10:00 pm	Check into Dolphin Suites hotel
		
Sun 13		
8:00-9:00	Breakfast						
9:30 am	Check out dive
12:00-1:00	Lunch
2:00-4:00	Dive 1: Seaquarium
4:00-5:00	Discuss observations
7:00-9:00	Dinner

Mon 14		
7:00-8:00	Breakfast
8:30-12:00	2 dives – Sites 2, 3
12:00-2:00	Lunch
2:00-4:00	Tour Seaquarium, shows 
4:00-5:00	Discuss observations
7:00-9:00	Dinner 

Tues 15
7:00-8:00	Breakfast
8:30-12:00	2 dives – Sites 4, 5
12:00-2:00	Lunch
2:00-4:00	Beach, optional dolphin snorkel (extra cost)
4:00-5:00	Discuss observations
7:00-9:00	Dinner

Wed 16
6:00-7:00	Breakfast
8:30-11:30	Boca Tabla, Tula Museum
12:00-1:30	Lunch 
2:00-5:00	Dive Watamula
7:00-9:00	Dinner

Thurs 17
6:00-7 am	Breakfast		
8:00 am- 5 pm	All day boat trip.  Dives at East Punt & Klein Curacao
EVE 		Light and Sound at Kura Hulanda Museum

Fri 18					  
8:00-9:00	Breakfast		
9:30-12:00	Town, museums (Jewish Temple, Kura Hulanda, Maritime)
12:00- 1:30	Lunch local market	
1:30-4:00	Museums, shopping 
7:00-8:00	Dinner

Sat 8
5:00 am	Depart Dolphin Suites for return to ILM
9:00 pm	Arrive ILM.  Local transport on your own.

FISHES and INVERTBERATES TAXA FOR INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

Please chose one of the below invertebrate or fish groups on which to focus your individual research project (if there is another group you’d prefer, ask me about it and if appropriate, that is fine).  You will be responsible for assembling as much general background information as possible before the trip, making observations of the group during the dives, and preparing an oral presentation (15 min) and short (< 6 page, double spaced) report on the group after we return.  Only one student per group, first come first serve!

1.  Sponges:	(very diverse group difficult to identify to species.  General id usually based on colony shape and color)  (2 students can share)

2.  Brain corals: several different genera have members that are commonly called brain corals.

3.  Star corals:   several different genera have members that are commonly called star corals

4.  Branching corals:  several different genera have members that are commonly called branching 		corals

5.  Gorgonians:  Eunicea spp.  gorgonians: speciose group;  id based on colony shape, calice shape and spicules

6.  Gorgonians:  Plexaura spp. and Pseudoplexaura spp gorgonians	   as above

7.  Regular echinoids		

8.  Brittle stars

9.  Decapod crustaceans

10.  Parrotfishes

11.  Acanthurids

12.  Damselfishes

13.  Snappers

14.  Groupers

15.  Butterfly fishes