Sample Syllabus
Marine Biology in Belize
Biology 4620
Dr. Joseph Dirnberger and Dr. Scott Reese
338 Science Building
(770) 423-6546 (office)
e-mail: jdirnber@kennesaw.edu, sreese@kennesaw.edu
“If the world had any ends,” Aldous Huxley wrote in 1934, Belize — then known as British
Honduras— “would certainly be one of them. It is not on the way from anywhere to anywhere
else. It has no strategic value. It is all but uninhabited.”
This hands-on field course will introduce students to various tropical marine ecosystems
utilizing the coast of Belize as its study site. The course will focus on the ecology of these
systems as well as examining environmental impacts and conservation efforts as they relate
to the cultures and politics of Belizean society. This is a course, not a tour, so our main
objective in designing the mechanics of this class is to get you to look closely, and to
synthesize what you see!
Learning outcomes

Demonstrate a basic understanding of major marine ecosystems, especially coral reef,
seagrass, and mangrove systems.

Recognize important marine taxa.

Be familiar with basic natural history of important marine taxa

Develop critical thinking skills for explaining observed differences within and among
ecosystems visited during the trip.

Be able to assess the environmental impact of land use practices by various cultures
on marine ecosystems.
THINK SAFETY!
We do not want anyone hurt.
itself, but also our time in Belize is short.
Not only is this a bad thing in of
Any disruption due to injury could result in
postponement or cancellation of activities. For details, go to
http://science.kennesaw.edu/%7Ejdirnber/MarBioBelize/ResourcesMarBioBelize.html/SafetyBelize.doc
Schedule of events
8 May – 9 am to 1 pm - Lectures and group activities at KSU

Introduction to course

Checklist for travel / snorkeling equipment

Safety overview

Lectures
9 May - 9 am to 1 pm - Lecture and group activities at KSU

Taxonomy quiz

Lectures
10 May - 9 am to 1 pm

Lectures
11 May – 9 am to 1 pm - Exam and a little bit more lecture

Lecture Exam

Discussion on field journals and final papers

Explanation of the group project

Marine Conservation Issues

Cultures of Belize
12 May – Meet in center rotunda (near the food court) at the Hartsfield
International no later than 5:15 am. Morning international flight from
Atlanta to Belize City. Then flight to Garifuna town of Dangriga. We will
visit a market in Dangriga, and travel the town of Maya Centre (for a
“cultural dinner and museum tour). Then up into the Maya Mountains
for a guided night hike in the forest of the Jaguar Preserve where we will
spend the night.
13 May – Watershed/ land use study via hike and float trip in the Jaguar
Preserve. Afternoon visit to Garifuna town for performance of traditional
music, then onto Creole village where we will catch the boat to Wee Wee
Caye, followed a quick snorkel to get used to “the waters”.
14 May – Snorkeling: Ecosystem survey: Wee Wee Caye. Walking tour
around the island to familiarize students to the fauna and flora of coral
reefs, then snorkel around the island and out to a patch reef system.
15 May – Boat trip and snorkeling: Ecosystem survey: a coral ecosystem on
the eastern edge of the barrier reef at Curlew Caye (AM). Group project
on marine organism distributions along Wee Wee Caye (PM).
16 May – Boat trip and snorkeling: Ecosystem survey: ecological succession of
Mangrove Cayes (new cayes, Saddle Caye, and Tunicate Cove) (AM).
Group project on marine organism distributions along Wee Wee Caye
(PM).
17 May – Boat trip and snorkeling: AM –a coral ecosystem on the eastern
edge of the barrier reef at South Water Caye (AM). Group project on
marine organism distributions along Wee Wee Caye (PM).
18 May – Boat trip and snorkeling: Ecosystem survey: a mid-reef coral
ecosystem at Peter Douglas Caye (AM) and individual projects (PM).
19 May – Depart Wee Wee Caye by boat. Transport via bus and plane to
Belize City. Afternoon international flight from Belize City to Atlanta
arriving in late evening.
21 May – Discussion of final paper and presentation of individual projects at
KSU
Contact information for someone needing to contact you in case of
emergency:
Jaguar Preserve / Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary - Belize Audubon Society
Belize Audubon Society's office in Belize City P.O. Box 1001
Belize City, BELIZE, C.A.
Phone: (501)223-5004/4987/4988
Fax: (501)223-4985
E-mail: base@btl.net
C & G Tours and Charters
#29 Oak Street Dangriga Town
Stann Creek District
Telephone: +(501) 522-3641
Cell: 610-2077
Email: cgtours@btl.net
Wee Wee Caye Marine Lab
Paul and Mary Shave
P.O. Box 56
Dangriga
Belize, Central America
Email: maryshave@yahoo.com
Tel/Fax: 501-533-7021
Mary Shave’s Cell #: 011 501 660-8411
http://www.marineecology.com/fac.html
The Pre-trip Lecture quiz
The exam will cover major concepts discussed in lecture over the first four days at KSU.
Because your study time is short, most questions will come directly from a study guide that
will be provided.
Taxonomy (Lab) quiz
Students will take a quiz based on an on-line tutorial made available to students prior to the
first day of class.
The Naturalist’s Journal
Each student will keep a journal of his or her own experiences. More details will be provided
on the class website. The journal will contain:

A record (through writing and drawing) of observations (both ecological and cultural)
based on your field experiences. The key to (and the purpose of) the field journal is to
make careful observations during our time in the field. These will be important in
writing your research paper.

The observations and their interpretation from your individual project.

A daily synthesis paragraph on physical and biological trends observed that day.

A final synthesis section relating observations on cultural practices to potential and
actual environmental impacts on aquatic systems
You must keep this journal up to date on a daily basis. You will spend time before
dinner each day updating our journals, then together as a group after dinner discussing what
we saw that day. Journals will be due on Monday, June 13th
The Research Paper
The research paper will be based on the observations made in your journal and any data
collected by the class during the visit to Belize. In this paper you will describe and explain
differences in ecosystems (and within selected ecosystems) from inshore environments to the
outer barrier reef as these differences related to changes in the physical environment. You
should incorporate concepts from lectures and the literature on feeding strategies, abilities to
cope with physical changes such as wave stress, methods of dispersal, etc. to help explain
distributions of organisms across these gradients. You must cite at least three sources from
referred journals. More details are provided on the class website.
You will have extra time to prepare your final research paper beyond the Maymester course.
Papers will be due on Monday, June 13th.
Individual Projects
On the final full-day on Wee Wee Caye, you will be given time to go into the field and record
in your journals your observations on an organism (or set of organisms) of your choosing (e.g.
frigate birds, a benthic alga, a particular sea urchin, etc.).
You might note behaviors,
distribution patterns, variation in coloration and morphology, etc. Record these observations
in your journal. You will present the patterns that emerge from your observations, and
speculations on their causes, in a short oral presentation/discussion on the final day of the
course back at KSU.
Participation
Points for participation will be based on individual effort (including evening journal
discussions), ability to work with your team members, and punctuality and attendance.
A
sustained effort throughout the course (including evenings) will be required from students.
Points will be lost if consumption of alcohol leads to any disruption to the progression of the
course, or to any disturbance to other students, faculty, or staff.
Individual effort and teamwork are critical to the success of this course!
Class web page:
http://science.kennesaw.edu/~jdirnber/MarBioBelize
This will link you to lecture outlines and to other resources. While these outlines are
detailed, they are not complete lectures so take notes!
There is no required textbook for this course. However, links on the web page will direct you
to required readings.
Grades:
Taxonomy quiz
50 pts.
Pre-trip lecture quiz
50 pts.
Journal
75 pts.
Research paper
100 pts.
Discussion on individual project
25 pts.
Participation and group work
50 pts.
350 pts.
A= 90% ;
B=80%;
Prerequisites:
Ecology (Biol 3370) or permission of the instructor.
C= 70%;
D= 60%
Academic Integrity
Every KSU student is responsible for upholding the provisions of the Student Code of
Conduct, as published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs. Section II of the
Student Code of Conduct addresses the University's policy on academic honesty, including
provisions regarding plagiarism and cheating, unauthorized access to University materials,
misrepresentation/ falsification of University records or academic work, malicious removal,
retention, or destruction of library materials, malicious/ intentional misuse of computer
facilities and/or services, and misuse of student identification cards. Incidents of alleged
academic misconduct will be handled through the established procedures of the University
Judiciary Program, which includes either an "informal" resolution by a faculty member,
resulting in a grade adjustment, or a formal hearing procedure, which may subject a student
to the Code of Conduct's minimum one semester suspension requirement.