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The "laboratory" component of this
course will be experienced (by those who choose to participate) during a one-week
intensive investigation of fossil and modern reefs on San Salvador Island, Bahamas,
over spring break. San Salvador, situated close to the eastern edge of the Bahamas
platform and one of the least developed islands in the Bahamas, is believed to be
the site where Columbus first reached land in the New World in 1492. Given its
unique history, cultural richness, and pristine reef environments, San Salvador
is a very special place to visit for anyone interested in geology and marine
biology. Accommodations and logistic support will be provided by the Bahamian
Field Station on San Salvador for a daily nominal fee. While on San Salvador, the theme will be "learning by doing:" you will be involved in numerous practical activities to learn about all aspects of reef communities past and present. These activities will include making detailed observations of modern reefs and their inhabitants while snorkeling or using SCUBA equipment. Underwater transects and traverses will enable identification of reef builders & dwellers, quadrat mapping of basic reef zonation, development of numerical plots of diversity and abundance for comparing nearshore and offshore reefs, examination of bioturbation patterns, and analysis of sub-rubble communities. You will also gain experience with newly developed techniques to rapidly assess the biodiversity of modern reefs for Rapid Assessment Programs (RAP) in conservation biology. These studies will be used to compare modern reefs with reefs of Pleistocene age that are exposed on uplifted terraces along the rocky shoreline. Comparison of modern and fossil reefs will allow you to determine Pleistocene-Holocene evolutionary patterns in reefs and to investigate taphonomic processes associated with the preservation of reefs in the geologic record. Most importantly, you will learn first-hand about the future of coral reefs, one of the world's most important and most threatened ecosystems. |
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Back to 215 Syllabus |
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http://classes.colgate.edu/csoja/Geol215/ |
