Coral Reef Ecology Summer Course
(Posted 02/25/2025)

Target Audience: Undergraduate Student
Graduate Student
Postdoctoral
Technician/Staff


Institution: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

Institutional Web Link: https://bios.asu.edu/education/summer-courses

Course Description: The overall aim of this course is to study the biology and ecology of tropical corals as well as exploring their response to environmental changes, including those driven by projected global climate scenarios. The course examines the biological, physical, biogeochemical, and evolutionary processes that determine reef growth, function, and resilience, spanning scales from individual organisms to entire reef systems. Topics include coral metabolism and physiology at cellular, organismal, and community levels; determinants of community structure and diversity, focusing on trophic dynamics and species interactions; and reef resilience and acclimatization to environmental change, with an emphasis on reproduction, recruitment, symbiosis, and evolution.

Lectures will be complemented with field and laboratory exercises, where students will gain first-hand experience in coral reef research methods and health monitoring. Field activities include benthic surveys, water quality analysis, assessments of coral recruitment and recovery, bleaching and disease monitoring, fish ecology, and nocturnal reef observations. Laboratory experiments will focus on coral physiology, including symbiosis, metabolism, and environmental stress responses.

The Coral Reef Ecology course at ASU BIOS is an intensive and integrated program aimed at upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. The course consists of lectures, precepts, laboratory exercises, field (SCUBA) surveys, and readings from primary literature, with attention given to active areas of research. It also includes input from current coral researchers working at ASU BIOS (including Dr. Chloe Carbonne and Dr. Brett Jameson), providing students with insights into ongoing studies and real-world applications. The program includes the development of an oral presentation, where students will analyze and present findings from field and lab data collected during the course.

Course Fees and Expenses: US$5,000 (includes 3-weeks tuition, campus accommodation and all meals)

Scholarships, Fellowships, Associated with the Course: Applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply for scholarship funding towards course fees, which include 3-weeks tuition, campus accommodation and meals. Scholarship funding is not awarded for travel related expenses, visas or medical/travel insurance.

Funding Source: None


How to Apply: Application form, prerequisites, syllabi and further information are available here:
https://bios.asu.edu/education/summer-courses

Application deadline is April 30, 2025

Questions? Contact us at bios.education@bios.asu.edu


Application Closing Date: 04/30/2025

Course Begins: 2025-07-21

Course Ends: 2025-08-08