Description

CORAL REEF ECOLOGY: FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY OF CORAL REEFS 

June 22 - July 10, 2026

Instructor: Dr. Eric Hochberg (ASU BIOS)

Take a three-week scientific expedition to study coral reefs in Bermuda and add lectures. This intensive course is geared towards upper-level undergraduates, graduate students and even postdocs. It examines how environmental factors influence reef benthic communities and fundamental reef metabolic processes. Students gain hands-on experience with advanced field and lab techniques to measure reef function, water chemistry, light, and hydrodynamics, while exploring how reefs respond to environmental change.

The overall aim of this course is to explore how environment impacts reef benthic communities and the fundamental processes of reef metabolism. Production of organic and inorganic carbon underpins growth and maintenance of the reef ecosystem. These processes are strongly influenced by environmental parameters including water chemistry, hydrodynamics, light availability/capture, and temperature, as well as the taxonomic composition of the community itself. Reef geomorphological and ecological zonation demonstrates that benthic communities have adapted to (and influence) their prevailing environmental conditions. At the same time, conditions are never static, and communities must acclimate to short- and long-term changes in their environment. A vitally important question is how global change will impact this baseline of reef function. This course provides fundamental background in reef functional ecology, as well as training in the measurement and interpretation of reef processes and environmental parameters.

This is an intensive course - a semester of material is compressed into three weeks. Course logistics include readings, lectures, discussions, presentations, and extensive laboratory and field work. Next to gaining a solid understanding of coral reef ecology and reef functional processes, students gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation and techniques for collecting and analyzing reef community and environmental data, including building underwater photomosaics, measuring current profiles, characterizing the underwater light field, characterizing water quality, and quantifying rates of primary production and respiration using traditional and advanced approaches. Additionally, all participants will earn the PADI AWARE Specialty Certification: Coral Reef Conservation.

The course syllabus and further information can be found HERE

Requirements

Prerequisites:

Completion of university-level biology and ecology courses; marine science and/or oceanography are desirable.

The course will require boat work and the ability to work comfortably in the water with a mask and snorkel. SCUBA certification is highly recommended, as those who are SCUBA certified* will be able to undertake fieldwork underwater and learn scientific diving skills.

*To be permitted to dive at ASU BIOS, students must complete, and return to the ASU BIOS Dive Safety Officer, various forms and meet certain medical safety standards, which may require a physical examination from a health practitioner. The student diving information package (SDIP), including all such forms and supplemental information, will be provided after notification of acceptance on this course. Diving participants must already be SCUBA certified (minimum of open water certified or internationally recognized equivalent). A minimum of 12 dives, including at least one dive in the 6 months prior to the course, is highly recommended.

APPLICATIONS DUE BY APRIL 30, 2026

Further details and application instructions are available here.

Suitably qualified applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply for bursary funding towards course fees, which include 3-weeks tuition, campus accommodation and meals. We do not award bursaries for travel related expenses, visas or medical/travel insurance, which are the sole responsibility of participants. To apply for bursary funding please fill out the appropriate section of the application form.

Questions? Please consult the Summer Course FAQs or contact us via the email address below.