Background

Philosophy

Coral reefs are, along with rainforests, the most diverse ecosystems on our planet. Every biologist should have the opportunity to explore such an ecosystem in the course of his/her studies. A coral reef's high diversity, its spectrum of colors, and its incessant activity and movement at all levels, however, tends to overwhelm the uninitiated and makes it challenging to grasp the reef's structure and function within the framework of a brief field course. The approach is therefore to concentrate on specific aspects of the coral reef by giving small teams of students specific, well-defined projects to tackle. Focusing on one particular aspect is the prerequisite for appreciating the overall complexity of the system, which is ultimately a mosaic of several habitats including sand bottoms, sea grasses, the water body, and the reef itself. At the same time, the course is designed to promote awareness of the fact that, despite the reef's size and overwhelming complexity, it is extremely vulnerable to a wide range of threats.

Course contents

The course consists of three phases. The first is a separate, special preparatory course titled "coral reef seminar". This series of introductory lectures by Jürgen Herler is designed to introduce students to the coral reef ecosystem and to prepare them for the specific topics that will be studied in the field. This is coupled with a half dozen student talks about specific aspects of coral reef ecology, spanning from coral reef fishes to human impacts on reefs to dangerous reef organisms. The second, main part of the course is a two-week field trip to the fringing reef along the Egyptian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba at Dahab/Sinai. Here, small student teams, each under the scientific supervision of a staff member, work up one of up to 4 different topics selected for that year. In the third and final phase, each student team is required to write a report - in the format of a scientific paper - on its results. These are then compiled into a comprehensive annual report.

Requirements

This course ranks as an advanced field course in marine ecology. The students are therefore required to have a background in marine science. The minimum requirement is successful completion of Jörg Ott's "Meereskunde" (Introduction to marine science) and of Jürgen Herler's "coral reef seminar". The students should also have completed the first laboratory course in zoology (Zoologische Grundübungen I). Ideally, they should also have participated in the Dept. of Marine Biology's "Introduction to marine ecosystems" course held in Rovinj, Croatia. Several other related courses are helpful, including "Introduction to coral reefs" (Branko Velimirov), the "Coral identification lab course" (Karl Kleemann), or "Threats to coral reefs" (Arnfried Antonius). Preference is given to those students who qualify best. Students should be certified SCUBA divers, although in exceptional case snorkelers can participate.

Study site

The two-week field course is conducted in the Red Sea, specifically at the southern Sinai along the Egyptian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. The site is located south of the small city of Dahab at the "DiveIn" dive center and the Dahab Association for Environmental development (D.A.E.D:). The house reef "Islands" represents a well developed fringing reef, well suited for this coral reef course. The ecosystem is a mosaic of habitats including coral reef, sand bottoms, and sea grasses. The reef here is intact and was not affected by the global coral bleaching events of the last decade. Two dives are conducted per day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Several dives are also conducted at adjoining reefs, which offer the full range of reef structures from drop-offs to extensive, gently sloping coral gardens. Two days are also reserved for terrestrial excursions, one to the stony desert and mangroves of the Nabq area, the second to the desert near St. Catherine and to the White Canyon.