*** APPLICATION DEADLINE OCTOBER 1, 2018***

The Winter Program Coral Reef Biology in Roatan, Honduras runs for two weeks in January. The program is designed to give SU students the opportunity to study the fish, coral, plants, and invertebrates associated with a Caribbean tropical reef with a primary focus on the diversity of living organisms surrounding the reef. Much of the time is spent in the water SCUBA diving or snorkeling, where students can observe and interact with organisms in their natural environment. Students will have the opportunity to learn about, and swim with dolphins!

CLASS:

BIOL 399 International Field Studies, Coral Reef Biology
OR
BIOL 570 International Field Studies, Coral Reef Biology

The class is based at the Roatan Institute for Marine Science in Roatan. There may be a few class meetings in Salisbury prior to departure. Students are responsible for their own housing in Salisbury as needed prior to departure. Students will have lectures, slide presentations, and lab activities as they learn about coral reef ecosystems and environmental threats to coral reefs. Students read and discuss numerous articles from the peer-reviewed literature on current topics in coral reef research, and in Roatan each student has a project to complete.

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor, previous biology courses, good swimming ability, and Open Water Diver certification. (i.e., you must be a certified SCUBA diver.)

Scuba Diving is offered at SU (PHEC 210) or you can take it wherever you choose, but all check-out dives must be completed prior to taking BIOL 399/570.

HOST INSTITUTION:

The Roatan Institute for Marine Science (R.I.M.S) is SU's institutional partner on this program. R.I.M.S is located at Anthony's Key Resort on the Caribbean. Founded in 1989, R.I.M.S. is on the northwest coast of Roatan where over 30 miles of fringing and barrier reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves and shoreline are home to an abundance of life. In the past decade RIMS has established itself as a dedicated teaching institution. The primary objective of this facility is the preservation of Roatan’s natural resources through education and research. R.I.M.S. is surrounded by roughly 13 km of protected area known as the Sandy Bay Marine Reserve. Within this area no spear fishing, trapping or collecting of any kind is allowed, nor is anything to be taken from the reef. To discourage touching or grabbing coral, divers and snorkelers are not permitted to wear gloves within the reserve. Local dive resorts and the municipality of Roatan support the Reserve, and RIMS has initiated a long-term reef-monitoring program within the Marine Reserve. Coral, fish and invertebrate populations, conditions on the reef are monitored over time in order to gauge reef health. Student groups are invited to participate in the reef-monitoring program.

HOUSING:

Students are housed in accommodations provided by Anthony’s Key Resort, and have access to all resort amenities, including the full-service dive shop, underwater photo center and medical clinic. Students are responsible for their own housing in Salisbury during any pre-departure meetings in the fall or winter.

COST:

Total costs are estimated to be $4350. Final cost will be determined in fall 2018. The cost includes all tuition and fees, international airfare, room and board in Honduras, boats, activities. Not included: Passport fees, books, snorkel/dive gear, scuba certification, and personal spending money (food/snacks in airport, etc.) At this time there is no departure tax for leaving Honduras. Students can purchase and bring their own dive/snorkel gear or they can rent any or all gear from the resort. For 2019 rental rates, see the Dive Shop at Anthony's Key at the website above. Also, be aware that carrying dive gear (other than mask, snorkel and fins) can be heavy. Students should be aware of overweight baggage fees (usually over 50 lbs.)

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Interested students should:
(1) Contact the Program Director, Dr. Ann Barse, indicating you would like to be in the class, and ask any questions you may have about the requirements.

(2) Students need to complete the, "Honduras BIOL 399/570 Supplemental Application" for this class, which includes instructions for writing a 300-500 word essay. Submit this form/essay directly to Dr. Barse as an email attachment no later October 1, 2018. The sooner that you submit your paperwork, the better. If I do not have enough students by this time, the deadline will be extended for applying.

(3) You will be asked to start completing the online application forms. You may duplicate the same essay for this form.