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| Tropical Marine Biology |
| Twenty-two students studied the biology and ecology of the coral reef and its associated ecosystems in the Tropical Marine Biology course during Southampton College's winter break. The studentswent to Dravuni Island, Fiji, staying at the field station of the University of the South Pacific, and Uepi Island in the Solomon Islands. The instructors for the course were Southampton College professors Christopher Gobler and Larry Liddle and Roland von Hentig from the University of Bielefeld, Germany.
Using a grant from the Department of Education, the natural science division purchased three underwater digital cameras, which students used every day while scuba diving. They then downloaded their pictures to laptop computers after each dive, resulting in thousands of ultra-high resolution digital photos. Seven of the students on the trip were supported by the Evan Frankel Scholarship. All have returned with a comprehensive understanding of the global value of coral reef ecosystems. The Tropical Marine Biology course has run every January since 1978 and involves an average of 20 students per year. Participants have visited over 20 different island groups and countries in the South Pacific. |
Each student did an individual research project and wrote a final project report on their findings. Some reports will be published in international peer-reviewed journals. Opportunities for exploring the tropical waters by snorkeling and scuba-diving were abundant.
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