This is by no means an exhaustive list. It is meant to give you some idea as to what we are looking for in these projects and papers. If you do not see anything that strikes your fancy, come up with your own project. **Clear it with either Don or Ed before going full bore!**

1) Plankton migration through the water column. Your project could involve a comparison between plankton species found at two / three different depths at one time, or one depth during the course of a day. Another aspect that might be interesting is comparing near shore versus open water plankton communities. Your paper would deal with plankton communities in general.

2) Fish densities over various types of coral. Your project would involve hanging in the water column counting and identifying the fishes that inhabit the water over / around each coral bulkhead. Your paper would involve a study of the fishes community found on reefs.

3) Community differences on different coral types. This is similar to the previous project, except the emphasis will be on the coral and benthic populations rather than the fishes. You will map out 2 to 3 different areas on the reef, and identify as many of the organisms living in or passing through each area as possible. Your paper will include a discussion of the usual community structures seen on corals. Your findings can be included as examples and discussed.

4) Effects of coral death due to natural versus man-made causes. Storm and tidal damage to corals is a normal part of the reef building process. Anchors, divers, cyanide fishing and other activities of man damage the reef as well. You will spend time in Honduras looking for these damaged areas, reporting on how you think the damage occurred and how the reef appears to be coping. Your paper will go into the many ways coral reefs are damaged, and what the outcome of these damages are on a global and local scale.

5) Parasitism, mutualism and commensalism on the reef. During your dives or snorkeling trips, you will locate examples of each of these behaviors in the reef community. (A good idea here would be to try to find a "cleaning station" and report what you witness happening there.) Your paper would expand on what you saw, giving descriptions of many different examples of these types of behaviors.

6) Day versus night activity in reef communities. We will be going on at least one night dive - use it as a comparison to what you have seen on the day dives. Take time to identify the organisms you see moving about during the day, and where they are located. Compare this with what you can observe during the night dive. Include a rich description of the day reef and the night reef in your paper.

7) Reef whitening - Why? On the night dive, pay special attention to the coral polyps that you see. Are there any signs of reef whitening? If so, in which areas of the reef? Is it localized to one particular type of coral? In your paper, report on the causes of reef whitening and the global and local effects reported to date.

8) Dolphin senses, cognition, communication. Compare what you see on site with what is written in the literature. Be prepared to make scientific observations on the dolphins that you swim with - how do they react when divers are close? What seems to be their keenest sense in locating divers? Can you touch them without causing a withdrawal reflex? Do they respond to sound created under water?

9) Venomous marine animals. Look for these creatures on the dives and report what you see. In your paper, you can expand on the topic by including the types of venom and the effects of the venom on humans as well as the organism's usual use of the venom. (This might be a good thing to begin research on before diving!)

10) Reef ecology / coral biology. Look for physical constraints on reef growth. Look for changes in the individual species (coral head morphology and size) with increasing depth or varying light. Include your observations in your paper, as well as a review of what is known to effect coral morphology and reef ecology.

11) Bioluminescence. Be aware of this phenomenon on all dives and water excursions. Report on any examples of this that we see. Your paper could include what we should have seen! You could include a description of the biochemistry of bioluminescence or its evolutionary significance.

12) Choose on or two species and complete a behavior study. Observe these organisms on all dives and report what you see. (Don't choose an algae!) In your paper, give a complete life history of your organisms(s).

13) Pollution / dumping effects. Note the amount of extraneous (non-natural) debris on the dive / snorkel sites. Make observations about how the reef "copes" with this intrusion. Your paper could include many references as to the effects of waste on the oceans. There is a lot of information on this, especially due to the recent New Jersey Medical Waste fiasco!

Back to homepage