| Textbooks: | Sapp, J. 1999.
What is Natural? Coral Reef Crisis. Wood, R. 1999. Reef Evolution. (backordered; see reserve copies) |
| Part I. ORGANIC "FANTASIA" -- INTRODUCTION TO REEFS |
| Jan 22 | Course overview & introduction to research techniques Library and web resources -- Importance and value of reefs -- Scheduling of weekly presentations & other course-related assignments |
| 24 | Video: "Australia's Great Barrier Reef: Nature's Greatest Architect" Response essay due next Tuesday |
| Jan 29 | Round Table Discussion: Introduction to Reefs Response essays -- Definitions -- Controls on reef growth --Reef builders and reef-associated biotas -- Ecology and trophic structure -- Framework v. sediment -- Reef evolution through geologic time |
| 31 | Selection of final research topic & research presentation do's and don'ts |
| Feb 5 | PowerPoint Presentations: Biology of modern coral reefs I
Distribution & diversity -- Reproduction & dispersal -- Symbiotic relationships of weekly presentations & other course-related assignments |
| 7 | Sapp book I: Introduction & Chapters 1-7 Historical overview of "starfish wars" & coral reef crisis |
| Feb 12 | PowerPoint Presentations: Biology of modern coral reefs II
Guilds -- Calcification & growth rates -- Cryptic biotas & exological succession |
| 14 | Sapp book II: Chapters 8-14 & meeting with next week's presenters
(Evol hist I) Knowledge, debate, and action about coral reef crisis |
| Part II. EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY OF REEFS |
| Feb 19 | Poster Presentations on Evolutionary History I: Precambrian-Early
Paleozoic reefs Precambrian stromatolite reefs -- Cambrian microbial-archaeocyanthid "reefs" -- Ordovician mud mounds -- Siluro-Devonian stromatoporoid reefs |
| 21 | Interviews due & meeting with next week's presenters (Evol hist II) |
| 22(F) | Science Colloquium by Dr. H. Allen Curran, Smith College: "Trouble in Paradise: The Global Coral Reef Crisis" ***Required attendance at 3:30 p.m. in L209*** |
| Feb 26 | Poster Presentations on Evolutionary History II: Mid-Late Paleozoic reefs & crisis in reef growth Impact of Late Devonian mass extinction on reefs -- Carboniferous mud mounds -- Permian sphinctozoan-microbial reefs -- Permian mass extintion's impact on reefs |
| 28 | Interviews due, discussions of Environmental Review assignment (due next week) |
| Mar 5 | Jigsaw Discussion of Evolutionary History III: Mesozoic & Cenozoic reefs
Triassic recovery & radiation -- Sponge-rudist buildups -- Cretaceous mass extinction Modern scleractinian dominance; deadline for Environmental Review assignment |
| 7 | Video: Canary of the Ocean: America's Troubled Reef" + Dinner at Merrill House (6 pm) to discuss Environmental Review assignments |
| Mar 12 | Invited Lecturers: Geology of the Bahamas & San Salvador Island
Caribbean reef distribution & dynamics -- Pleistocene-Holocene carbonates on San Salvador Island, Bahamas -- Modern & fossil reefs on San Salvador Is. |
| 14 | Finalize travel plans for Bahamas field trip |
| 15(F) | Fly from Syracuse to Ft. Lauderdale (overnight stay) |
| Mar 16-31(F) | SPRING BREAK Field trip to San Salvador Island, Bahamas |
| Mar 26-28 | No class -- NE GSA meeting in Springfield, MA ....but! ....
Detailed (annotated) outline of final research paper, including a minimum of 5 non-web reference, DUE by 5 p.m. on Friday, 29 Mar |
| Part III. GLOBAL CHANGE AND REEF CONSERVATION |
| APR 2 | Invited Lecturer: Reefs and global change Research methodologies -- Reefs as indicators -- Reef responses -- Problems & controversies |
| 4 | Faculty-student lunch Geo 426 students present highlights from the Bahamas field trip -- Meeting with next week's presenters (reef conservation I) |
| Apr 9 | Team Debates: Reef conservation I (How bad is it?) Natural disturbances -- Human-induced perturbations - Diseases & predators |
| 11 | Meeting with next week's presenters (reef conservation II) |
| Apr 16 | Team Debates: Reef conservation II (What can we do?)
"Seascape" management & protection -- Tourism & sustainable use -- Conservation education & legislation |
| 18 | Preparation for the symposium |
| Apr 23 | Research Symposium: Global perspective on the future of reefs I
Individual presentations of students' research results |
| 25 | Research Symposium: Global perspective on the future of reefs I
Individual presentations of students' research results |
| Apr 30 | Research Symposium: Global perspective on the future of reefs II
Individual presentations of students' research results |
| May 2 | Review and reflection |
| 3 | Final research papers due by 5 p.m. |
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Back to 215 Syllabus |
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http://classes.colgate.edu/csoja/Geol215/ |
