Field Studies in Marine Biology
Class/Trip Information



Dates May 7th - 18th
3100  495 - 503   Special Topics in Biology

Instructors: Dr. Stephen Weeks and Dr Francisco (Paco) Moore

Location: The Cheasapeake Bay

THERE WILL BE  AN ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING
FOR ANYONE THAT HAS QUESTIONS OR MAY WISH TO JOIN THIS CLASS ON
MONDAY FEBRUARY 7TH AT 4:00 IN ROOM G01 ASEC

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING PLEASE CONTACT STEVE WEEKS
AT
SCW@UAKRON.EDU
OR CALL 330 972-7156

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The purpose of the course is Four Fold:
 

The Course will be taught on site in the Chesapeake Bay region outlined on the map. From the D.C. area to Virginia Beach. Specifically, we will be staying at the VIMS Eastern Shore Laboratory located in Wachapreague, Virginia and at False Cape State Park at the very southern tip of Virgina.

NO Scuba or Snorkeling is Required
Swimming Opportunities Will Abound

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What Will We See?

Riparian fed Estuaries
Salt marsh Estuaries
Barrier Islands and Spits

Coastal Dunes
High energy (open) Surf Zones
Protected Surf Zones

Many Invertebrate Species
Many Vertebrate Species
Many Algal and Plant Species

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How Much Will The Trip Cost

We anticipate that $600 from each student will cover: transportation, housing, daily meals and Boat/Excursion/Entrance fee costs.

Most students like to have a little extra spending money for an occassional trip to a resturant, snacks, fogotten sunscreen, tee shirts etc.

The course is 4 credits. Tuition is not included in the $600 course cost calculation.

Is a deposit required?
Yes about a week after our organizational meeting we will begin collecting deposits to reserve one of the 12-15 spots. The deposit will be $50 with a series of payment dates spread throught spring semester.

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What will I need to bring?

We will meet several times before the actual trip to discuss this, but the intent is to not place a burden on you to buy much new gear.

You will need:

 Field cloths/shoes (cloths that you don't mind getting dirty)

Sun and Bug repellent (Bugs are a usually not bad but the sunburns are common for the foolhardy).

Swimware

a water bottle

A bound notebook and pencils

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How will we get there?
We will be driving in universit-provided vans.

Where will we be staying?
The first half of the trip we will stay at the housing facilities at VIMS in Wachapreague. The second half of the trip we will stay in a large hunting lodge that has been converted into a field station at False Cape State Park. That park is not accessable by car and we will be ferried in by the State Park personel. The lodgings are fantastic and we will largely be free from interferance from the public.

What about food?
The class will decide, as a group, about food for the trip!

When possible we will be making our own meals to save money.
At other times we will have to eat at inexpensive restaurants or will be eating sandwiches, fruit etc.

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What will we get graded on?


We will grade you partly on class participation. The class is fun, but it is on the go in the field. If you consistently are engaged in studying the beautiful marine and estuarine systems you will do well.

We will also grade you based on a notebook/journal that you will keep. You should be continuously updating the notebook with your observations (with specifics). As you learn new species, or notice that species are distributed differentially across environments you should record that. In addition your reflections on possible experiments you could do and how you would perform them should go in the journal.  We will grade these notebooks with an eye toward how you are devloping your observational ability and if you are developing testable hypothesis.

Finally, after you return from the trip you will need to submit a ~10 page research proposal for work to be done either at VIMS or False Cape. You will use the notes you developed in your notebook/journal to design a hypothetical research project that you would conduct if you were to return to either field lab.

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