Instructor(s):

Dr. Graeme M. Taylor, Email: gtaylor8@uwo.ca
Department of Biology
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, N6A 5B7

Dates:

From Saturday April 28th to May 10 th, 2012 (2 weeks); 0.5 credit

Location:

Belize Marine Studies Field Camp at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize

Cost:

The cost for the year 2012 will be approximately $2140. This will cover your expenses on the remote tropical island, including all transportation within Belize, park fees, room/board, local guides, basecamp and shared research equipment. Students are responsible for personal research gear such as snorkel/fins & watch, and the following additional travel costs: return flight to Belize, personal travel, travel medical insurance, and one dinner and breakfast on the mainland.

You are required to first submit a non-refundable $250 deposit to your home university by January 30th. The balance is due before March 1 st. You can pay by certified cheque or bank draft, payable to TheUniversity of Western Ontario. Payments should be sent to the attention of Brenda Beretta, Biology Department, UWO North Campus 301A, London, ON N6A 5B7; fax 519-850-2343.

Prerequisites :

Completion of second year biology program and completion of a course in ecology. You must be reasonably fit and very comfortable around water activities. An ability to swim 12 lengths of a 25 m pool, non-stop, is required. A current tetanus inoculation is mandatory. A positive attitude towards adventure is important! Students must have a valid passport, and students with other than Canadian passports need to determine visa requirements into Belize.

Enrolment:

20 students maximum and 18 minimum

Description:

This course is an introduction to tropical marine environments. We will immerse ourselves in the diversity of habitats at Belize's most spectacular atoll — Lighthouse Reef. Our base camp will be on an island, Half Moon Caye, situated on the southeast corner of the reef, which is located 90 kilometers offshore of the Belize mainland. Half Moon Caye is a protected marine reserve, originally established in 1923 to protect a nesting colony of red-footed boobies. Lighthouse reef is one of only four such atolls in the Western Hemisphere. The atoll is an asymmetric rimmed platform, entirely surrounded by a fringing reef rising virtually to the surface. Inside this fringing reef is a lagoon speckled with hundreds of coral patches. The reef, including the spectacular wall where the atoll drops away into the depths, is highlighted for its density and diversity of both corals and fish. Much of our time will be spent exploring by kayak and snorkelling in shallow water marine environments. You will work in a team on a research project, and you will be communicating your research ideas to the larger group. Facilitating our scientific endeavours will be Island Expeditions (please visit their web site at www.islandexpeditions.com), who have over 20 years experience operating tropical marine field camps in Belize.

Evaluation:

• Synopsis of assigned species 10% (due on April 28 th) • Participation & short presentations 20%
• Field Journal, data collection, and identification 30% (due May 10 th)
• Research project 40% (due June 30 th)

Additional
Information

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

Policy on cancellation and refund: If for any reason you need to cancel, be aware that many of our course costs are incurred well in advance of your arrival to Belize. For our group, there is a fixed cost to reserving a remote field site. Your cost is an appropriate fraction of the total expenses. Your enrolment is confirmed by the UWO receiving full payment by March 1 st. Only money order or certified cheque will be accepted ( no personal cheques). After March 1st, those students in arrears will be automatically replaced by paying participants. No exceptions are provided for the above procedures and regulations. All cancellations must be received by us, in writing, by the 15 th of March. After March 15 th we retain your full payment. The University of Western Ontario may need to cancel the course/trip due to unforeseen events and under such circumstances you will receive a full refund.