Marine Biodiversity & Conservation

Academics

SEA Semester: Marine Biodiversity & Conservation

"My time at sea was the best educational experience I've had since entering college. I collected water and the accompanying environmental data which I would then use to analyze microbial genetic diversity. Taking these precious samples from the collection and filtration stage through DNA extraction and amplification and more left me entirely invested in their story. SEA is a truly unique experience for undergraduates to cross over major oceanographic features, understanding them in a way that many specialists in related fields do not."

Kate Hyder
Stanford University

What Is It?

An integrated semester that applies modern biodiversity research to place-based resource management in the coastal and open ocean.

Read the news release about the NSF grant SEA received to supplement this new program.

When Is It?

Late Spring 2013: Space Available
April 8 - June 30, 2013 (Atlantic)

Note: Although this program begins in April, it is designed to take the place of a spring semester on your home campus. Many students take advantage of the opportunity to conduct an internship or independent research between the end of their fall semester and the start of this program.

Who Should Apply?

Marine Biodiversity and Conservation attracts upper-level science or policy students interested in complementing leading-edge technical sophistication in marine science research with the wisdom, concepts, and skills necessary to effectively operate within the world of public policy and to tackle global-scale environmental challenges. Limited to 24 students per cruise. This is a writing-intensive semester.

Prerequisite: A minimum of three lab science courses, including one at the 300-level or higher. In special cases, this prerequisite may be waived pending SEA faculty approval. Not sure if you qualify? Contact your Admission Counselor.

SEA Semester operates on a rolling admissions basis, so there are no application deadlines. Students are accepted on a case-by-case basis until the program is full.

Program Description

The oceans cover 70% of our planet and yet less than 1% of their area is protected. Scientists estimate that oceans contain more than one million species and report that less than one-quarter of these have been identified. Undiscovered ocean biodiversity has the potential to transform medicine, industry, environmental remediation, and energy production, but is threatened by pollution, habitat destruction, fishing, and climate change. With limited knowledge of biodiversity, we lack the data needed to plan rational and effective protection and conservation of the ocean. This semester challenges students to integrate the scientific study of marine biodiversity with conservation planning for the Atlantic high seas area.

On Shore I
Students will build a conceptual framework in marine ecology and resource management while honing practical skills. Training in classical, molecular, and statistical techniques for measuring biodiversity will prepare students for the research cruise. Students will also learn to document human uses and cultural landscapes as they investigate scientific, historical, and cultural variables that affect the ecology and governance of marine environments.

At Sea in the Sargasso
The Caribbean to Woods Hole research cruise allows for sampling across strong oceanographic gradients, different marine biomes, and socio-political systems that are rarely encountered directly by humans. In addition to measuring biodiversity for their research projects, students will collect archive samples for the global marine biodiversity effort. These offshore biodiversity studies will ultimately inform the policy recommendations developed by student research teams.

On Shore II
The final shore component in Woods Hole will allow for completion of scientific analyses requiring shore-based facilities and synthesis of the research. The program will conclude with formal presentations on high seas biodiversity and conservation for an invited panel of science and policy experts.

Special Program Features

Students will acquire practical science and policy research skills, including:

  • Ecological statistics
  • Conservation planning with GIS
  • Microscopy and morphological taxonomy
  • DNA extraction
  • PCR
  • Fingerprinting [RFLP]
  • Phylogenetic probes [Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization; FISH]
  • Sequencing
  • Cultural Landscape Analysis
  • Stakeholder research
  • Marine Spatial Planning

Courses

Advanced Topics in Biological Oceanography: Biodiversity, CAS NS 450 (4 credits)
Guided by extensive literature review, current status of and threats to marine biodiversity will be explored. Laboratory and field skills for assessing/measuring classical and genetic diversity will be introduced in preparation for the research cruise.

Ocean Science and Public Policy, CAS NS 320 (3 credits)
This course will introduce students to fundamental concepts, tools, and processes that are driving the construction of ocean policy today. Through readings and seminars, students will critically explore the philosophical roots of science and the varying and often contested ways that it fits into public policy. Case studies will help students identify intangible but critical factors in the form of personal and professional values, the role of politics, and the vital role of effective and broad-based communication in crafting effective policy.

Directed Oceanographic Research, XAS NS 325 (4 credits)
Each student or pair of students will generate a proposal for original research on a specific group of surface or mesopelagic organisms (e.g., microbes, phytoplankton, zooplankton) found in the Sargasso Sea. Students will be tasked with data collection and analysis while at sea. Original scientific manuscript production will be completed in Woods Hole following the research cruise. Heavy emphasis will placed on research skills and written and oral communication abilities.

Advanced Ocean Policy Research, CAS NS 460 (4 credits)
Student Working Groups will investigate different technical conservation areas (e.g., historical ecology, stakeholder assessment, cultural heritage, civil society) as they pertain to high seas conservation. The research cruise will serve as a time for critical first-hand observation of the region under consideration for management. Individual efforts will result in a comprehensive and multifaceted final document detailing ocean policy issues and recommendations for the Sargasso Sea. Findings will be presented for critical review by experts in conservation science and policy.

Nautical Science, CAS NS 223 (3 credits)
Nautical Science teaches the practical skills and theoretical background necessary to safely operate a tall ship on the high seas. Students learn and apply essential concepts in general physics, astronomy, and meteorology. During the sea component, students are active and increasingly responsible members of the ship's crew.