Instructor: Karina Scavo Lord (kscavo@bu.edu)

Syllabus: MR500 Corals Across the Seascape Syllabus Draft Fall 2025

Overview:

Corals Across the Seascape (MR 500) offers an in-depth exploration of coral species inhabiting diverse habitats across the tropical seascape including mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs. For many years, reef scientists have overlooked coral populations and communities in these non-reef habitat types across the seascape due to their suboptimal environments compared to traditional coral reefs. However, emerging scientific research has highlighted potential importance of these habitats for coral survival and evolution in light of unprecedented environmental change and subsequent global coral reef decline. In this course, we will investigate the ecological processes that have shaped these unique coral communities and discuss implications for the future of corals across the tropical marine seascape in our rapidly changing oceans. The course takes place in the 4th block of the BU Marine Semester and consists of eight days in Boston (October 24th – November 4th), eleven days at Calabash Caye, Turneffe Atoll, Belize (November 5th -16th), and one final wrap-up day back in Boston (November 17th).

Additional Considerations:

  • Course-specific Costs:
    • Students will need to reimburse the BU Marine Program for the cost of the flight to Belize (about $1000).
    • Students are responsible for transportation to and from Logan Airport on travel days.
    • All students must have a passport valid for at least 6 months past their return date.
  • Meals
    • Food and lodging are covered by the program while in Belize. Students will be responsible for purchasing any meals during travel days.
  • Schedule
    • ~7 Days in Boston: Mon-Fri / 10:00-12:00 & 1:00-4:00
    • ~13 Days in Belize
      • Mon-Sun / Daily Field work: ~8:30-11:30 am; 1:30-4:30 pm;
      • Daily Data Analysis & Talk Preparation: 7:30-9:30 pm
      • Location: Calabash Caye Field Station
    • 1 Day Wrap-Up in Boston
  • Required gear
    • Full-length 2mm/3mm wet suit, neoprene booties, fins, dive mask, snorkel, waterproof watch. Optional: hood, underwater camera.
  • Physical requirements
    • Up to 7 hours of snorkeling per day. Daily transit on small boats. Short hikes across level ground. Occasionally carrying class gear across a sandy beach. Class stays at a remote field station. You will be exposed to the elements (sun, rain, wind) and bugs (be prepared with bugspray).