Download - Practical Oceanographic Research...SEA Semester®: Caribbean Reef Expedition 3. Critically analyze and interpret authentic oceanographic data. 4. Generate clear visual representations

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!


CourseCalendar:

Topic Readings/AssignmentsDue

Week1(6hours)–onshoreatSEAcampusinWoodsHole

IntroductiontoCaribbeanReefExpeditionprogramandPracticalOceanographicResearch(POR);Overviewofcoursegoals&assignments.

Lecture/DiscussionTopics:• IntroduceSEA’sResearchCapabilities

andResearchProgram• RidgeToptoReef:AnIntroductionto

CaribbeanCoastalEcosystems

DrawingExercise

MBL/WHOILibraryResourcesandWoodsHoletour

Readings:CruiseResearchProspectusDesignatedprojectreadingsTBDIdentificationofpreliminaryreefsurveyresearchinterests


Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• CoralReefEcology,partIand

TaxonomicIDs(Coral,Sponge,Inverts)• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:

Quadrat,CameraandCoralPointCountsubstrateanalysis

• ResearchTopicRefinement

StartLiteratureReviewResearch

TechniquesandAnalysisExercisedue

TaxonomicIDQuiz


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


TaxonomicIDQuiz


Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• MangroveEcologyandTaxonomicIDs• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:InPool

Training


TaxonomicIDQuiz


Lecture/Lab/DiscussionTopics:• EcosystemConnections:Nutrients,

Energy,andLifeCycles• TechniquesandDataAnalysis:InPool

Training

TaxonomicIDQuizretakes

ResearchProjectProposaldue

Week7(10hours)–atfieldstationinU.S.VirginIslands

Site1:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;Invert/FishSurvey


Datafidelityandanalysis

ReefReportCardsdue(x2)

Week8(10hours)–atfieldstationinU.S.VirginIslands




ReefReportCardsdue(x2)

Week9(15hours)–atsea+reefsurveyworkduringportstop

PortStopVisit#1Site5:Orientation,Mapping,WaterSampling;

Invert/FishSurvey

MethodsRefinement

MethodsSessions


ReefReportCarddue(x1)

RevisedIntro/Methodsdue


MeetingTopic:• Writing/RevisingResearchPapers



Invert/FishSurvey

DataAnalysis

MentoringSessions

MeetingTopics:• DataDiscussionI



DataDiscussionAssignmentdue



Invert/FishSurvey

DataAnalysis

MentoringSessions

MeetingTopic:• DataDiscussionII



DraftResultsdue

Week12(18hours)–atsea

DataAnalysis

MentoringSessions

MeetingTopic:• PosterPresentationtips

PosterPresentation

FinalReportdue