This past winter break (January 2015) I had the privilege to travel to Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean for the CIEE J-term course in Tropical Marine Ecology Field Research Methods and Scientific Diving.
CIEE is the Council on International Educational Exchange, a non-profit study abroad organization that sends thousands of college students all over the world each year. The program I attended was at the CIEE research station in Kralendijk, Bonaire. I found this program through my research mentor, Doctor Jeremy Claisse, which he found on the coral-listserv database. This program is one-of-a-kind because it’s a three-week intensive "boot camp" focused on learning internationally recognized scientificsampling protocol and gaining your American Academy of Underwater Sciences’ (AAUS) Scientific diving certification. If you want to contribute towards scientific research at any university or organization you need to be AAUS certified.
The northern coast of the island is mostly the National Park and has a desert climate. The East side of the island is known for its strong winds due to the trade winds that are constantly blowing. These strong winds have cultivated the sport of windsurfing, which is today a staple part of Bonaire’s culture. Over the weekends during the course we had excursions to Lac Bai where we learned how to windsurf and Washington Slagbaai National Park where we beach camped. Even though we only had three weeks, I feel like I left having seen a good majority of the beautiful island.
During the week we had class on marine field research methods and scientific diving. The two courses meshed perfectly. In the morning, wehad lectures on AGRRA and REEF marine monitoring projects and protocol, symbiotic relationships between gobies and shrimp, or identification of Caribbean fish, invertebrates, coral, and algae. Then by the afternoon we dove, experiencing these natural marvels firsthand.
The director, professors, and interns at the CIEE Bonaire Research Station are incredibly intelligent and very nice. I look forward to returning as an intern for the next summer or year to gain more diving experience and help with future visiting students. I was unable to go ona traditional study abroad pogrom over the academic semester but I am so thankful that I had the chance to go to Bonaire for the J-term. This was one of the best experiences of my life, the beauty of the island is encapsulating, and I strongly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in tropical marine biology. My email is goozner@oxy.edu if anyone has further questions about the program or my experience in Bonaire.