Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles (Best viewed in Netscape)

photo by Matthew Godfrey

A Sea Turtles Course with 6 days in Coastal North Carolina and 8 days in Costa Rica.

In cooperation with the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and the Caribbean Conservation Corporation , UNCG offers you: BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF SEA TURTLES   Biology 361, a seminar and field studies course to be conducted on campus at UNCG, Topsail Island, NC, and the Phipps Biological Field Station in Tortuguero, Costa Rica!

• A three credit hour course on the UNCG campus, plus
• Six days working at the Sea Turtle Hospital in North Carolina
• Seven days in Costa Rica working in the oldest sea turtle research program of its kind to study in a remote roadless area surrounded by the tropical wet forest of Tortuguero National Park

2009 Course Information

Credit Hours:   3

Semester for which students will register and receive credit:  Spring 2009.  Students will receive an Incomplete until we return from Costa Rica.  Special arrangements will be made for graduating seniors.

 Enrollment Limit:  10 Students

Interested Applicants:  Every applicant is expected to attend one of the two Interest Meetings (see date, time, and place in table above) to learn about the course and ask questions. The regular class meeting time could change depending on the needs of the students.

Click here for an Application

Prerequisites: Biology  112 or permission of the instructor (Bio 105-02 (Conservation Section only) students may apply).

Course Description
Field Studies: The course will be centered around field work in Topsail Island, North Carolina and in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.  The sea turtle hospital at Topsail Island is on one of only a few facilities in the US dedicated entirely to sea turtles.  The mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sick and injured sea turtles.  Students will assist in the care of the turtles and will learn more about the causes of decline in US waters.  Housing for winter trip will be announced later.  We will camp on the May trip.

In Costa Rica, students will participate in the oldest on-going sea turtle research program of its kind. Initiated by Dr. Archie Carr in the late 1950s, the tagging project is now coordinated by the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC). Students will participate in all aspects of data collection on the  green turtles that come to nest on the beach at night. Students will need to be physically fit, as tagging the turtles may require five or more miles of walking each night in a tropical climate.

Housing will be at the CCC's Tortuguero Biological Field Station. Tortuguero is a remote roadless area on the Caribbean coast, at the edge of a wet tropical rain forest that is criss-crossed by rivers and streams. Access is by boat or plane. The field station is located adjacent to the small village of Tortuguero and the 20,000-hectare Tortuguero National Park. Students will help measure nesting turtles, count eggs and assist in flipper tagging and recording data. In addition to working with the turtles, students will have the opportunity to meet the people of a Caribbean coastal community. On day trips organized by the field station, students will explore the rain forest of the National Park and other ecosystems of the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Classroom Studies:  Classroom studies constitute a very important part of the course.  We will meet for 8-11 sessions during the spring semester at times to be decided by the students, normally on Friday afternoons. These classes will involve lectures by faculty, students, and guest speakers.  There will be tests and papers.  This time is also used to prepare students for travel and field work. To take a look at the webpage for the 2007 course, click on 2007 Course Information.

Cost: Price not yet determined for 2009, but expect at least $2300-$2600, though we will make every attempt to keep the cost down (no one can predict airfare or fuel prices, the cost could be more or less). The rate will include lodging at Topsail Island; overnight accommodations in San Jose for two nights (one upon arrival in San Jose at the beginning of the trip and one after leaving Tortuguero); transfer by bus and boat to Tortuguero and small plane back to San Jose; and three meals a day while at the station for six nights.  A minimum deposit of  $200.00 is required with the application. The deposit is returned if applicant is not accepted.  Deadlines for fees will be announced at a later date.

A travel agent will be handling the money for the Costa Rican portion of the course and the deposit and final payment will be due in early spring (date TBA).  Students may get together and travel elsewhere in Costa Rica on their own after the course work. This can be worked out with the travel agent.

Not included in cost: Transportation to Topsail Island and meals while at Topsail Island;  passport, airport exit tax in Costa Rica (about $27.00), tips (about $30.00), insurance, and items of a personal nature. Certain special field trips may be offered at a small additional cost.  You will also need money for meals in San Jose. Costs associated with the optional field trip to the International Sea Turtle Symposium are not included.

Language requirement:  There is no language requirement.

Cancellations and Refunds:  Requests for cancellations must be made in writing.  Full refund, less a $100 administrative fee, will be made if a timely cancellation request is received.   For late cancellations, refunds will be based on money recovered by the tour operator subject to the rules and regulations of the hotel and airlines involved.  Refunds will be made solely on residual values received from purveyors of services.

 For further information please contact:

Ann Berry Somers  Department of Biology  310 Sullivan Science Building/UNCG  P.O. Box 26170 Greensboro, N.C. 27412-6170 Tel: 336-334-4978  e-mail: absomers@uncg.edu Office Hours: T, W 1-2:30 p.m. Also by appointment.

          Link to BIO 361 2007 Course Information Page

UNCG Biology Department Home Page