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
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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.
Not only is this a bad thing in of itself, but
also, 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 – Day off
12 May – 9 am to 1 pm - Exam and a little bit more lecture
 Lecuture Exam
 Discussion on field journals and final papers
 Explanation of the group project
 Marine Conservation Issues
 Cultures of Belize
13 May – Meet at the middle outer doorway (D2) of the International Terminal (note
different directions than to Domestic terminals) at 7:00 am sharp, 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.
14 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”.
15 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.
16 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).
17 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).
18 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).
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19 May – Boat trip and snorkeling: Ecosystem survey: a mid-reef coral ecosystem at
Peter Douglas Caye (AM) and individual projects (PM).
20 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
Charlton Castillo (ground transportation during 1st, 2nd, and last day)
cell 501-661-8199
home 501-543-7799
E-mail: charltoncastillo@yahoo.com
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
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. Go to http://science.kennesaw.edu/~sreese3/Marine%20Biology-Belize.html and click on
Identification Tutorial. The user name is “Marine” and the password is “Biology”.
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.
THE FIELD 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:
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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
For detailed guidelines, go to:
http://science.kennesaw.edu/%7Ejdirnber/MarBioBelize/FieldJournalsInstruct.doc
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 Friday, 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. For detailed guidelines, go to:
http://science.kennesaw.edu/%7Ejdirnber/MarBioBelize/FinalPaperGuidelines.doc
You will have extra time to prepare your final research paper beyond the maymester course. Each
section the paper (3) will be due on Wednesday over three consecutive weeks (June 4th, 11th and
18th. You must submit the paper electronically at turnitin.com.
The Class ID is “ 8026333”.
The enrollment password is “Belize”.
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.
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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
Pre-trip lecture quiz
Journal
Research paper
Discussion on individual project
Participation and group work
50 pts
50 pts
75 pts
100 pts
25 pts
50 pts
350 pts
A= 90% ;
B=80%;
C= 70%;
D= 60%
PREREQUISITES:
Ecology (Biol 3370) or permission of the instructor.
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ACADEMIC POLICIES
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Safety must be a primary concern when in the field. You must review the safety guidelines
for this class located on the class webpage. No consumption of alcohol during scheduled
activities or the hours prior to scheduled activities. See class webpage for more details on
safety guidelines.
All rules and regulations in the Kennesaw State University Code of Conduct apply to all students
at all the time while studying abroad. Your instructors have the right to send you home at
your own expense for violating course or university policies.
Late papers will result in a 5% reduction per day.
Keep all of your returned, graded work (exams and lab reports). You must have these materials
if you decide to contest your final course grade.
Do not turn assignments in by e-mail or other electronic format. Hard copies only.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Any student with a documented disability or medical condition needing academic accommodations of
class-related activities or schedules must contact the instructor immediately. Written verification
from the KSU disAbled Student Support Services is required. No requirements exist that
accommodations be made prior to completion of this approved University documentation. All
discussions will remain confidential.
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 malicious/intentional misuses 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.
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