ERSC 4353 - Geology and Ecology of Bahamas

Three credit hours.

This course explores the geology and ecology of the shallow-water marine environment by examining the preeminent modern example, the Bahamas platform. The Bahamas provides an excellent model for understanding modern and ancient carbonate and reef deposits and a variety of terrestrial/aquatic habitats. Biological processes are ultimately responsible for many of the geological features of the Bahamas, so the course considers the biology/ecology of marine organisms in addition to geological topics. The field component is based at the Gerace Field Center for Geological, Biological, and Anthropological Research on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. Seventy-five hours of lecture/laboratory/field activity. Dual listed in the Graduate Catalog as ERSC 5353.

Prerequisites: Eight hours of core science and consent of instructor.