Australia: Great Barrier Reef

One of the seven wonders of the natural world, the Great Barrier Reef lies in the clear blue waters off the northeast coast of Australia. Spanning 14 degrees of latitude, this complex reef system is not only the greatest expanse of coral in the world, it is the Earth’s largest living structure, a massive, beautiful, and ancient biological phenomenon of bewildering diversity and immense ecological significance. Habitats within the reef mosaic include the coral reefs themselves (some 3,000 individual reefs), sponge gardens, sea grasses, mangroves, continental islands, and coral cays, which together help support a rich assemblage of marine and terrestrial life, including more than 1,500 species of fish, 200 species of birds, six species of sea turtles, whales, dolphins, and dugongs.

This graduate course program is offered jointly with The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority), which is responsible for the long-term health of the Great Barrier Reef for future generations. Located in Townsville, Queensland, Reef Authority focuses on several goals including enhancing Reef resilience through partnerships, collaboration and education.

 

During the field portion of this course, we will spend much of our time exploring the work of Reef Authority, venturing forth on several excursions for direct research on the Great Barrier Reef, and hiking in some of Australia’s unique terrestrial habitats. Discussion topics include a range of marine science issues, Reef education and outreach, and citizen engagement in environmental and marine science.

Reef Authority promotes reef stewardship through public exhibits, field programs, sustainability certification for tour operators, virtual experiences offered through ReefEd, and through school initiatives such as the successful Reef Guardian program, which engages hundreds of schools in reef conservation. Reef Authority is also increasing its sea country partnerships with Traditional Owner to support indigenous land use agreements, traditional ecological knowledge, and stewardship of reef environments. This course supports advanced study of coral reefs and education as well as on-land participation in integrated methods for involving communities in promoting healthy marine environments.

Prior to and following the field experience in Australia, students will complete coursework via Canvas, Miami University's learning management system as they apply experiences to their home institutions.

Townsville

Home to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville, Australia, is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Townsville boasts many Reef Guardian programs, including a network of schools taking action inside and outside the classroom to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Magnetic Island

Just offshore from Townsville lies Magnetic Island. Over half of this rugged, mountainous island is a national park and supports eucalyptus woods, mangroves, sea grass beds, and fringing coral reefs. Rock wallabies scamper on granite boulders. Koalas forage in eucalyptus trees. Echidnas, black flying foxes, brushtail possums, and over 180 species of birds can also be seen on the island. Dugongs and sea turtles swim in the waters around the island.

Wheeler Reef

Part of the outer Great Barrier Reef, Wheeler Reef lies some 40 nautical miles off the coast of Townsville. Wheeler Reef is off the beaten track, making for pristine corals and crystal clear water with few divers or snorkelers in sight. In addition to a high abundance of fish — including fusiliers, parrotfish, and damselfish– turtles and manta rays are common. The reef is famous for gullies, canyons, and caves and is an ideal site for divers and snorkelers.

(Course locations are subject to change.)

In addition to covering the price for five graduate credits of Miami University tuition, field course costs cover all basic expenses, including:

• Meals (incidental snacks and drinks not included)
• Lodging
• Field station fees
• Course activities (optional activities are not included)
• Ground transportation (van, boat, train, etc., as needed)
• Park entrance and guide fees

*NOTE: The Australia course carries a required extra charge to cover additional boat transportation costs. Students will also cover 2 dinners on their own in Townsville during the course. Snorkel equipment rental is included.

Course costs do not cover personal expenses, such as airfare to the course, personal gifts, or ancillary costs, such as passport fees, country entry fees, required course readers, and any additional course texts.

Airfare: To estimate fares applicants may wish to visit an online fare finder or call a travel agent. Bear in mind that airlines have seasonal fluctuations in fares.

Miami University also requires all international workshop participants to purchase travel health insurance for about $40. (Successful applicants will receive more details in their web-based learning community course workshop.) In some classes an additional textbook is required. In some countries, you may have to pay entrance and departure taxes/fees at the airport.

Because of support from Miami University, the course costs listed above are a fraction of actual program costs. Earth Expeditions recommends that accepted applicants to the program check with their school district or employer to see if professional development funds are available to further offset costs.

We offer some further ideas on Helping to Fund your Degree and Scholarships for Current Dragonfly Students

The 2-credit follow-on course, Inquiry & Action, puts the Earth Expeditions course ideas and concepts into practice. Students in this course will choose a research topic and construct a multidisciplinary semester-long project of their choice that includes inquiry-driven learning, participatory education, and community-based conservation to experience and promote action in real-world contexts. Students will connect and collaborate with peers and their instructional team throughout the semester working to make a positive difference in their local communities. This class is a required part of the Global Field Program (GFP) master's course sequence. Inquiry & Action is recommended though optional for non-GFP students.

Course cost: $910 (2 credits)

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