Contact the Professor
Randi Rotjan, rrotjan@bu.edu
Course Overview: Coral Reef Dynamics (CRD) is an introduction to research on the biology and ecology of coral reefs. The course will examine coral symbioses; reef types and their distribution; coral allies and associated species; and community dynamics. Students will acquire the necessary foundation to conduct research using cutting edge, custom in silico tools and technology to translate field data to “e-reefs”, which are necessary and critical to preserving the historical record of reef health, and to enable future photogrammetry analysis. We will read classic and contemporary literature, and will learn fundamentals of data analysis and interpretation. We will conduct original research to answer novel questions about reef dynamics with an emphasis on analysis, interpretation, and writing. This course will examine the intersection of conservation biology, global change, natural history, ecology, and technology.
Training you will receive in BI/EE 539:
Theory: Fundamentals of reef ecology // natural history // global change biology // reef conservation biology // demography // coral symbiosis //
Skills: species identification // use of natural history museum specimens and records // statistical analysis // development of scientific graphs and figures // scientific research literacy // scientific writing // scientific presentation //digital photo and video processing // 3D photogrammetry //