BIOL 2060 Tropical Marine Biology

This course will be offered on the tropical island of Caye Caulker, Belize, and will focus on the marine environment of the Yucatan. Caye Caulker is a small island in the Caribbean Sea, along the coast of Belize, and is situated along the largest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere. Lectures focusing on the unique habitats and ecotomes of Caye Caulker will be accompanied by in-water expeditions of the surrounding marine environment and magnificent barrier reef. This course promises to be equally exciting and adventurous as the first two courses.

Students will have an opportunity to see the gentle manatees in their natural habitat, snorkel in the magnificent coral gardens of the Hol Chan marine park, and—for the more adventurous—witness the unforgettable shark and ray alley. Moreover, students will participate in a census of tropical fish and coral, which will be provided to the Department of Fisheries in Belize following completion of the course.

The instructor for this course is Richard Lo Pinto, Ph.D. Dr. Lo Pinto is a professor of marine biology at Farleigh Dickinson University’s Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck, New Jersey. Dr. Lo Pinto has extensive experience with tropical marine environments as well as methods used in conducting marine biology research.