Ecology, Behavior & Conservation of Manatees and Dolphins

A Unique Field Course in the Drowned Cayes, Belize

Course Syllabus

DATES: May 31 - June 13, 2008 (inclusive of travel)

INSTRUCTOR: Caryn Self-Sullivan, Ph.D. (May 2008, WFSC, Texas A&M), President & Co-founder of Sirenian International, http://sirenian.org/Self-SullivanCV2008.pdf

LOCATION: Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure Lodge, http://belizeadventurelodge.com

COSTS: $2495 includes, housing, meals, field trips, ground & water transfer fees, DOES NOT include airfare or credit hours

DEADLINES: Registration & non-refundable deposit of $500 is due May 1st; balance due May 15th

MAXIMUM CLASS SIZE: 24 students

REGISTRATION: http://sirenian.org/RegistrationForm2008.pdf

So you think you want to be a marine mammal biologist? Here's your chance to join our research team for two intense weeks of total immersion into the world of Antillean manatees and bottlenose dolphins in Belize!

You will become totally immersed in the study of manatees and dolphins through lectures, literature review, and field research. This unique field course combines an overview of the ecology, behavior, and conservation of sirenians and cetaceans with hands-on manatee & dolphin research in the Drowned Cayes, Belize. You'll spend 3-4 hours on the water each day as we explore a labyrinth of mangrove islands and seagrass beds searching for elusive manatees and charismatic dolphins. You'll collect behavioral and environmental data and learn about photo-id techniques; you'll help reduce and analyze data, and interpret results. Our extra-curricular activities include snorkeling on the reef, and exploring an ancient Maya City.

This unique course has a work load equivalent to 4 university credit hours and is divided into 4 major components: lectures (~2 hours per day), independent reading and assignments (~2 hours per day), data collection/reduction/analysis (~4 hours per day), and group discussion of reading materials (~2 hours per day).

Want credit towards your degree? No problem! Sign up for independent study with an advisor at your school and pay the appropriate fees. Have you advisor contact Dr. Self-Sullivan (caryn@sirenian.org) to discuss the requirements for credit. Remember, if you are interested in getting independent study credit for this course at your school, you must make arrangements IN ADVANCE with BOTH your advising faculty and the course instructor and you may be required to take a final exam and/or write a paper. Any credit hour fees must be paid directly to your school. 

COURSE CONTENT (Lectures)

1. The Order Sirenia:  Manatees and Dugongs of the World

2. The Order Cetacea:  Whales and Dolphins of the World

3. The Local Research Project: Manatee & Dolphins of the Drowned Cayes

4. An Overview of Long-term Marine Mammal Research projects around the World

5. Animal Behavior:  The Scientific Perspectives

6. Marine Mammals under Human Care in Zoos and Oceanariums

7. Marine Mammal Science:  Research Design, Data Collection Methods, Analysis of Data, and Interpretation of Results

8. Marine Mammal Conservation and Advocacy:  What's the Status of Extant Marine Mammal Species

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Distinguish between the Orders Sirenian, Cetacea and other marine mammals; describe the evolutionary history of sirenians and cetaceans

2. Identify and describe all the known species within each Order

3. Describe the manatee & dolphin research projects in Belize; compare and contrast research objectives in the USA, Belize, and other areas of the world

4. Comprehend the four scientific perspectives of Animal Behavior and explain why Folk Psychology perspectives are also important

5. Describe the issues surrounding marine mammals under human care in zoos and oceanariums; debate the pros and cons of keeping marine mammals and other animals in captivity

6. Describe the major methods used to study marine mammals around the world

7. Describe the current conservation status of sirenian and cetacean populations around the world

8. Identify the major sources of scientific literature on sirenians and cetaceans; read and critique peer reviewed journal articles

9. Use critical thinking skills to evaluate information from diverse sources (e.g. scientific studies, books, personal experience, zoos & oceanariums, advocacy groups, TV documentaries, movies, other TV shows, You Tube videos, the Internet)

RESOURCES

A selection of primary literature will be provided by instructor in electronic format in advance of the course. Students should print out these articles and bring them with them to Belize. We have a library of books and archived Society of Marine Mammalogy, Animal Behavior, and Conservation Biology journals in our library onsite in Belize.

Additionally, I have identified 4 reasonably priced books that students can purchase directly from me (in advance of the course) or online via Amazon.com or other book retailers; priority should be given to 2 starred (*) books:

*The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation, by Roger L. Reep and Robert K. Bonde, University Press of Florida

*The Bottlenose Dolphin: Biology and Conservation, by John E. Reynolds, Samantha D. Eide, and Randall S. Wells, University Press of Florida

Manatees and Dugongs of the World, by Jeff Ripple and Doug Perrine, Voyageur Press

Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales, Janet Mann, Richard C. Connor, Peter L. Tyack, and Hal Whitehead, editors, University of Chicago Press

The course fee includes all expenses (transportation, accommodations, meals, field trips) from your arrival at the PWG airport in Belize on May 31st to your departure on June 13th. You are responsible for your round-trip airfare to Belize (airport code BZE). In addition, you may want to purchase your own copy of one or more of the books to be used in the course. Also included in your fee are two extracurricular field trips to be provided by Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventures.

To register for course, please visit http://sirenian.org/RegistrationForm2008.pdf

If you are a Texas A&M student, please visit http://studyabroad.tamu.edu/enrollmain.asp

For more information on the course, please email caryn@sirenian.org

For more information on the instructor, please visit http://sirenian.org/caryn.html

For more information on the facilities, please visit http://belizeadventurelodge.com

Download a Course Flyer at http://sirenian.org/CourseFlyer2008.pdf