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I'm Erin Eggleston and I'm teaching
Biology 371 Advanced Field Methods with
Professor's Jeremy Ward and
Steve Trombulack.
This time around it was
focused on coral reef ecology.
We we able to spend ten fabulous
days down on Abaco Island.
Students were able to collect data in
these reef ecosystems that are now part of
the Atlantic and
Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment Data Set.
>> AGRA has certain fish that are on their
list that they deem most important for
reef health and reef conservation.
>> We're looking at populations of fish or
corals or
benthic organisms and
how they vary throughout different reefs.
And not only their populations but
sizes and
all these other factors and
contributors or detractors to reefs.
That can indicate not only reef health but
different changes or
ways that reefs are responding
to our changing environment.
>> Corals are a hotspot of biodiversity.
If they collapse there's a huge
repercussion in those systems for
the fishes that live there.
And from a sort of conservation and
management perspective they
are a region that support a lot of
the fisheries in these communities.
So the goal is to document what's
there and this type of survey
allow us to in a pretty quick amount
of time get a big picture view of
what's going on in these reef systems and
then compare them over time
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>> I was just so inspired by this course.
I've never done field work before,
especially marine field work and you know,
I want to pursue this as a career later.
So it's kind of like
a great stepping stone.
>> The biggest draw for
me was just being able to engage with
marine biology in a hands on way.
>> I think that being able to do things
out in the field really just cements a lot
of the information.
And I think it fits in really nicely with
this idea of Middlebury expanding its sort
of global place-based education.
>> It's interesting and
moving to be able to see and
experience an ecosystem that
we need to help out more.
