2:34 p.m., Jan. 25, 2008--It's definitely winter here in the Mid-Atlantic region, but for 16 University of Delaware students, Winter Session is downright tropical.
Two College of Marine and Earth Studies (CMES) professors are leading a team of undergraduates on a unique study abroad program where they're helping a group of researchers study coral reefs and marine protected areas off the shores of the Caribbean island Bonaire.
“The reefs of Bonaire are some of the most pristine in the world. They set the present standard for reef quality and conservation, making it critically important that we understand more about their health and status,” said Art Trembanis, assistant professor of geological sciences, who is leading the UD trip along with Doug Miller, associate professor of oceanography, and geological sciences graduate student Hilary Stevens.
Located about 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela, Bonaire is one of the best scuba diving locations in the Caribbean. Its reefs, which have been legally protected since 1979, are much healthier than others in the region. One study suggests that coral reef coverage in the Caribbean has dropped by about 80 percent in the last 30 years, and scientists say much of that damage is due to human-related causes, such as pollution and overfishing.
Multiple autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are helping them obtain critical information about Bonaire's waters and reefs. Besides taking pictures and other visual data, the underwater robots are gathering information on salinity, temperature, oxygen levels and other water-quality parameters.
Once they've gathered the data, the team will compare it to surveys completed in the 1980s to see what has changed in the last three decades.
The research, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is being highlighted by NOAA's Ocean Explorer Web site. Visit [http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov] to follow the team's progress and learn about members' experiences through photos, explorer bios and written updates.
Trembanis and Miller said the month-long trip is an exciting opportunity to meld their research with teaching. “I think we do our best teaching when it's informed and influenced by our science,” Trembanis said.
Mostly juniors and seniors, the students, whose majors range from geology to wildlife ecology, bring a range of strengths and interests to the program. One student, senior Jonathan Gordon, raises corals in his dorm room. Two others, senior environmental sciences major Chris Coccaro and junior wildlife conservation major Kat McCole, will use their skills as advanced divers to help the science team with technical dives in deeper waters.
McCole worked with Miller as a summer intern and science and engineering scholar last summer, and Coccaro is one of five returning student members from the 27 who joined Trembanis and Miller in New Zealand during the Winter Session 2007.
Coccaro said he appreciates the fact that students on the trip get to design their own experiences by choosing how they'd like to be involved with the science team's research project.
“It's not just like a normal study abroad program,” he said. “I'm actually taking part in research, which is an opportunity that very few undergrads get..., and I had to take advantage of that.”
To learn more about the CMES Bonaire trip, visit [http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov].
For more about CMES, visit [www.ocean.udel.edu].
Article by Elizabeth Boyle
