Marine Biology Program

Marine Biology

Earlham
College

Marine Biology - May Term 2007

May 11 - June 1, 2007

Leslie Bishop, Faculty Leader

Description - The 2007 Marine Biology May Term will travel to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands where we will explore coastal habitats including mangroves, rocky shores, sandy beaches, and offshore waters.

2005 Marine Biology Program Participants

This May Term will be the complementary field component to the spring semester course, Marine Biology Seminar. We will use the Virgin Island Environmental Resource Station (VIERS) as our home base (check out their web site, http://www.islands.org/virgin/viers/).

Our philosophy will be to do as much snorkeling and field exploration as possible in order to gain understanding of marine systems.

Program Leader - Leslie Bishop, Professor of Biology, has taught at Earlham for sixteen years. Leslie has led Tropical Biology trips to the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica and has taken students to Puerto Rico, Baja, and Dominica for research. She has served as faculty for the Oak Ridge Science Semester, as the director of the Marine Biology Term in Alabama and the Bahamas, and as faculty leader on five Marine Biology May Terms. At Earlham's campus she teaches Biological Diversity, Entomology, Invertebrate Zoology, Marine Biology, and Gender Issues, and is Assistant Director of the Joseph Moore Museum.

Dr. Leslie Bishop

Location - The May Term will be based at VIERS on St. John Island in the US Virgin Islands. VIERS is located in the remote southeast corner of St. John on Lameshur Bay within the boundaries of the Virgin Islands National Park and United Nations (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve. St. John is the smallest of the US Virgin Islands, about 20 square miles in size, and 90% of the island is tropical forest. The Virgin Islands National Park occupies almost three quarters of the island and maintains hiking trails, which retrace old plantation roads or wind their way from beaches to the mountaintops. The marine environment is rich in both habitat and organism diversity.

Courtesy of
All St. John Travel Guide

Course Description - Students participating in the Marine Biology May Term (Bio. 472, 3 credits) are required to take the Marine Biology Seminar (Bio. 471, 3 credits) during spring semester. The goals of the May term course are to focus on marine life and habitats in context and to experience fun and intensive learning in a beautiful atmosphere. The format will consist of daily lectures, biological and cultural field trips, as well as daily snorkeling explorations. The text will be Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach by Nybakken. Prerequisites are Ecological Biology and Biological Diversity.

Program Participants Working
in the Laboratory

Living Arrangements - The group will live and study at VIERS, a residential environmental education center. Students will stay in small rustic cabins, and use communal showers and toilets. The station also provides three meals a day in a dining area, and a classroom.We will all share in dishwashing and housekeeping responsibilities.
	VIERS

Application - The May Term is limited to 10-12 Biology majors. Good physical condition and competency in swimming is required. Applications due by October 6. Applications are available in the International Programs Office in the Bolling Center.

Orientation - There will be required orientation sessions with Professor Bishop during the Spring Semester, 2007. During these sessions, the group will discuss logistics, health and medical information, snorkeling, water safety techniques, policies and guidelines, packing lists, and other program details.

Program Charges - The May Term fee is $1800. This covers room and board, field trips, and other educational costs. Students who register for 18 semester hours or less in the Spring Term (including the May Term MB course) will not be charged additional tuition. More than 18 hours in Spring Term will be charged an additional amount for tuition as determined by College policies. May Term enrollment fees also apply.

Other Charges - Students will be responsible for their own transportation costs to St. Thomas, USVI. Students should also plan for additional funds to cover books, personal gear, dining out, and personal expenses. A passport will be necessary for travel.

Additional Information - Course plans are subject to change. For additional information, please contact:

Dr. Leslie Bishop
Biology Department
Earlham College
(765)983-1555, 1210
e-mail: "leslieb@earlham.edu"


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