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WKU Students Study Coral Reefs In Belize
Bowling Green, Ky. - Eleven students from four schools recently participated in a class taught in Belize by two Western Kentucky University biology faculty members.
Dr. Ouida Meier and Dr. Philip Lienesch taught "The Splendors of Coral Reefs in Belize" from May 16 to May 30. Students from WKU, Thomas More College, University of Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State University spent nine days at the International Zoological Expeditions field station on Southwater Caye, an island attached to the barrier reef off Dangriga, Belize. Western students participating in the class were Jamie Armstrong, a Bowling Green senior; Tara Granke, a Park City sophomore; Brittany Green, a Florence junior; Sarah Henry, a Marion senior; Amber Miller, a senior from Liberty Township, Ohio; Brian Rogers, a Woodburn sophomore; and Jason Taylor, a Mammoth Cave senior. Class activities included exploring various habitats (coral reefs, mangroves and sea grass beds) and conducting individual research projects on organisms of the reef and surrounding habitats. Student projects varied from studying the distribution of coral diseases, feeding behavior of fishes and development of food webs in various habitats. An additional four days were spent on the mainland of Belize examining how activities of mankind affect water quality and aquatic organisms in the marine environment. Trips included a tour of a shrimp farm and a river boat trip into the tropical forest. The trip was organized through the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad, supported by WKU's Department of Biology and the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching (FaCET), which loaned the students laptops to aid in their work.
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