practical oceanographic research...sea semester®: caribbean reef expedition 3. critically analyze...
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SEASemester®:CaribbeanReefExpedition
PracticalOceanographicResearchXASNS226(4credits) CourseCatalogDescription:Introductiontooceanographicresearch.Designacollaborative,hypothesis-drivenmarineecologicalresearchprojectoncoastalecosystemsintheEasternCaribbeanfollowingthescientificprocess.Collectoriginaldata.Conductanalysisandinterpretation,thenprepareawrittenreportandoralpresentation.Instructor:SeaEducationAssociationOceanographyFacultyLocation:SEAcampusinWoodsHole,MA,atfieldstationinU.S.VirginIslands,atseaonSEA’ssailingschoolvesselCorwithCramer,andonreefsduringseveralislandportstops.Prerequisites:AdmissiontoSEASemester.CoursePhilosophyandApproach:
Fieldresearchiscentraltothestudyofthemarineenvironment.Throughouttheshorecomponentwewillexplorethescientificprocessasstudentsdevelopresearchinquiries,planexperiments,andcraftaconciseprojectproposal.Thisstudent-generatedsuiteofresearchobjectiveswilldefinemuchofthesubsequentscientificmissionandsamplingplanwhilewestudyreefsatafieldstationintheU.S.VirginIslands,duringislandportstopsandatsea.Additionally,acriticaleducationalgoalofthePracticalOceanographicResearchcourseisthetransferof“whatsoundedgoodonshore”to“whatreallyworksassea,”andtheevolutionofeachscientificprojecttotherealworldwilloccupymuchofourtimewhilecollectingandanalyzingdata.StudentteamswillcompletecollaborativeresearchprojectsinoceanographyandmarineecologyundertheguidanceoftheChiefScientistonCaribbeanislandreefsandaboardthevessel.Inconductingtheirprojects,studentswilllearnandperformstandardvisualsurveyfieldtechniquesusingsnorkelandsmallboatoperations.Essentialprojectcomponentsincludethecollection,analysisandpresentationofdata;aresearchreportwillbewrittentosummarizefindingsandconclusions.Thiscourseconsistsof36hoursoflecture/lab/discussionsessionsonshoreinWoodsHole;35hoursofreefwork(datacollectionandmentoredanalysis)intheU.S.VirginIslandsandduringportstops;4scheduleddiscussion/mentoringsessions(1.5hourseach),countlessinformalconversations,and1researchpostersession(3hours)atsea;aswellas36hoursoflaboratorywatchparticipation(activelearning/laboratory)during18daysunderwayatsea.LearningOutcomes:
1. Read,analyzeandevaluatescientificliteratureanddatasourcesinrelevantdisciplines.2. Recognizeandemploythescientificmethodthroughthedevelopmentofacollaborative
researchproject.
SEASemester®:CaribbeanReefExpedition3. Criticallyanalyzeandinterpretauthenticoceanographicdata.4. Generateclearvisualrepresentationsofoceanographicdata.5. Participateandcontributeasanessentialmemberofaresearchteam.
Evaluation/Assignments:
OnShore:
TaxonomicIDQuizzes 10%
ResearchProjectTechniqueAssignments 10%
ResearchProjectProposal 10%
AtSea:
CoralReefReportCards 20%
DataDiscussions 10%
ResearchPosterPresentation 15%
WrittenReport 25%
AssignmentsOnshore:TaxonomicIDQuizzes:Studentswilltakefourtaxonomicidentificationquizzesduringtheshorecomponent.Aquizre-takewillbeofferedduringWeek5.ResearchProjectTechniquesAssignments:Studentswilllearnavarietyofdatacollectionandanalysistechniquesduringtheshorecomponentthatarecrucialforsubsequentlycompletingtheirresearchprojectsatsea–substrateanalysis,diversityindicesandmappingtechniques,aswellasin-poolsnorkelingtraining.Studentswillcompleteaseriesofassignmentstopracticeanddemonstratemasteryofthesetechniques,priortoheadingtotheCaribbean.ResearchProjectProposal:Aseriesofresearch-focusedseminarsonshorewillguidestudentsthroughtherigorsofthescientificprocessincludingthereadingofscientificjournalarticles,gatheringessentialbackgroundinformation,craftinghypothesestobeinvestigated,describingfieldmethodsanddataanalysisplans,etc.Thoughtful,well-preparedparticipationduringresearchseminarsisexpectedofeachstudentandessentialtosuccessfulprojectdevelopment.Eachstudentresearchteamwillcompleteathoroughlyresearchedandcarefullywrittenexplanationofproposedscientificworkatseaand/oronthesevenreefsiteswewillstudy,includinganintroductoryliteraturereview,intendedmethodsandsamplinglocations,dataanalysisplan,andreferences.AssignmentsatSea:
CoralReefReportCards:StudentswillcompileandcompleteCoralReefReportCardsforeachofthesevensiteswestudy.ModeledaftertheHealthyReefInitiative’sreportcardsfromtheCentral
SEASemester®:CaribbeanReefExpeditionAmericaregionandTheNatureConservancy’sreportcardsfromtheCaribbean,thesewillbeconcise,visual,easy-to-understandtoolsdesignedtobeaccessibleforadiverserangeofaudiences.Theywillbecollaborativeefforts,withteamsofstudentscontributingsectionstoeachreport.DataDiscussions:Twomentormeetingswillguidetheprogressofdataanalysis.Forthefirstsession,researchteamswillberequiredtoretrieverelevantdatafromcurrentcruisearchivesandplotstationlocations.Forthesecondsession,researchteamswillgeneratetwofiguresthatbegintoaddressthehypothesisbeingtested.PosterPresentation:Researchteamswillpresenttheirresearchinapostersession.Emphasiswillbeplacedonclearvisualrepresentationoftheresearchquestion,methods,dataanalysisandinterpretation,aswellasoralexplanationofthework.WrittenReport:Researchteamswillproduceawrittenreportfollowingastandardformat.ThefinalreportswillbearchivedatSEA.Readings:
Tobeginthescientificprocessregionallyrelevantjournalarticleswillbeprovidedtothestudentsonthecoursewebsite.Additionalsupportingreferencesandscientificliteratureareprojectdependentandwillbeobtainedbyeachresearchteam.ExpectationsandRequirements:
• Punctualattendanceisrequiredateveryclassmeeting.• Activeparticipationinclassdiscussionisexpected.• Lateassignmentsubmissionsarenotaccepted.• Thepolicyonacademicaccuracy,quotedbelow,willbestrictlyfollowedinthisclass.
Thepapersthatyousubmitinthiscourseareexpectedtobeyouroriginalwork.Youmusttakecaretodistinguishyourownideasandknowledgefromwordingorsubstantiveinformationthatyouderivefromoneofyoursources.Theterm“sources”includesnotonlypublishedprimaryandsecondarymaterial,butalsoinformationandopinionsgaineddirectlyfromotherpeopleandtextthatyoucutandpastefromanysiteontheInternet. Theresponsibilityforlearningtheproperformsofcitationlieswithyou.Quotationsmustbeplacedproperlywithinquotationmarksandmustbecitedfully.Inaddition,allparaphrasedmaterialmustbeacknowledgedcompletely.Wheneverideasorfactsarederivedfromyourreadingandresearch,thesourcesmustbeindicated.(HarvardHandbookforStudents,305)
• Considerationsforuseofinternetsources:Asyoubrowsewebsites,assesstheirusefulnessverycritically.Whopostedtheinformationandwhy?Canyoutrustthemtobecorrect?Authoritative?Unbiased?(It’sokaytouseabiasedsourceaslongasyouincorporateitknowinglyandtransparentlyintoyourownwork.)Keeptrackofgoodsourcesthatmightbeusefulforsubsequentassignments,andannotateinyourbibliographyanysitesyoucite.Yourannotationshouldincludethenameoftheauthorororganizationoriginatinganymaterialthatyoureference.Ifyoucan’tidentifythesource,don’tuseit!
SEASemester®:CaribbeanReefExpedition
CourseCalendar:
Topic Readings/AssignmentsDue
Week1(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole
IntroductiontoCaribbeanReefExpeditionprogramandPracticalOceanographicResearch(POR);Overviewofcoursegoals&assignments.
Lecture/DiscussionTopics:• IntroduceSEA’sResearchCapabilities
andResearchProgram• RidgeToptoReef:AnIntroductionto
CaribbeanCoastalEcosystems
DrawingExercise
MBL/WHOILibraryResourcesandWoodsHoletour
Readings:CruiseResearchProspectusDesignatedprojectreadingsTBDIdentificationofpreliminaryreefsurveyresearchinterests
Week2(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole
Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• CoralReefEcology,partIand
TaxonomicIDs(Coral,Sponge,Inverts)• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:
Quadrat,CameraandCoralPointCountsubstrateanalysis
• ResearchTopicRefinement
StartLiteratureReviewResearch
TechniquesandAnalysisExercisedue
TaxonomicIDQuiz
Week3(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole
Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• CoralReefEcology,partIIand
TaxonomicIDs(Fish)• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:Belt
Transect,Roving,andStationaryPointCountfordiversityindices
• HypothesisDevelopment
LiteratureReviewResearch(ongoing)
TaxonomicIDQuiz
SEASemester®:CaribbeanReefExpeditionWeek4(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole
Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• SeagrassEcologyandTaxonomicIDs• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:
CompassandContourMapping• ResearchMethodsDevelopment
LiteratureReviewResearch(ongoing)
DraftIntroduction&Methodssectionsdue
TechniquesandAnalysisExercisedue
TaxonomicIDQuiz
Week5(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole
Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• MangroveEcologyandTaxonomicIDs• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:InPool
Training
TechniquesandAnalysisExercisedue
TaxonomicIDQuiz
Week6(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole
Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• EcosystemConnections:Nutrients,
Energy,andLifeCycles• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:InPool
Training
TaxonomicIDQuizretakes
ResearchProjectProposaldue
Week7(10hours)–atfieldstationinU.S.VirginIslands
Site1:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;Invert/FishSurvey
Site2:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;Invert/FishSurvey
Datafidelityandanalysis
ReefReportCardsdue(x2)
Week8(10hours)–atfieldstationinU.S.VirginIslands
Site3:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;Invert/FishSurvey
Site4:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;Invert/FishSurvey
Datafidelityandanalysis
ReefReportCardsdue(x2)
Week9(15hours)–atsea+reefsurveyworkduringportstop
PortStopVisit#1Site5:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;
Invert/FishSurvey
MethodsRefinement
MethodsSessions
Datafidelityandanalysis
ReefReportCarddue(x1)
RevisedIntro/Methodsdue
SEASemester®:CaribbeanReefExpedition
MeetingTopic:• Writing/RevisingResearchPapers
Week10(15hours)–atsea+reefsurveyworkduringportstop
PortStopVisit#2Site6:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;
Invert/FishSurvey
DataAnalysis
MentoringSessions
MeetingTopics:• DataDiscussionI
Datafidelityandanalysis
ReefReportCarddue(x1)
DataDiscussionAssignmentdue
Week11(15hours)–atsea+reefsurveyworkduringportstop
PortStopVisit#3Site7:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;
Invert/FishSurvey
DataAnalysis
MentoringSessions
MeetingTopic:• DataDiscussionII
Datafidelityandanalysis
ReefReportCarddue(x1)
DraftResultsdue
Week12(18hours)–atsea
DataAnalysis
MentoringSessions
MeetingTopic:• PosterPresentationtips
PosterPresentation
FinalReportdue