3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Tropical ecosystems are immensely diverse in organisms and behaviors. This course will comprise an in-class component fall semester (1 day @ 1.25 hours per week) and then a 13-day component on site at Utila Island, Honduras to experience and research tropical ecosystems and organisms. We will have lectures and preparatory activities at Hopkins on tropical ecology, behavior, island biogeography and conservation. In Utila, we will have group field excursions that will exemplify course concepts and practices. Students will also conduct field research, analyze data and write a research paper on their taxa of focus under the supervision of Utila biologists and program faculty. At the end of this course you will have gained first-hand experience in field research, ethology, and ecology. This course requires travel in early January (intersession). The costs of the trip are included for all students with no fees required. Admission will be through instructor permission. Note this class can count towards a Behavioral Biology upper level course or to satisfy research credit.