Subtropical Biotic Fringing Reefs as Ecological Laboratories

Abstract

MA RINE ENVIRONMENTS ARE increasingly the focus of student ecological investigations at all educational levels. However, because these investigations are often superficial or are limited to the ecology of an individual organism, the results students obtain are either too general to be meaningful or so narrow that students fail to realize their significance. At Windward Community College, Kaneohe, Hawaii, we have developed an interdisciplinary course entitled Biology that overcomes these problems by incorporating a class-coordinated investigation of a subtropical biotic fringing reef. Subtropical biotic reefs, particularly Hawaiian reefs exposed to prevailing trade winds, provide unique opportunities for investigating ecology. Biotic reefs are one of the oldest and most structurally and functionally complex ecosystems in the oceans; thus, their potential for investigation is limited only by the students' (and instructor's) creativity. Marine Biology, a 16-week course emphasizing field work, takes full advantage of the opportunities biotic fringing reefs offer. The course uses a hands-on approach through numerous field trips and class-coordinated field investigations. Scheduled class hours are devoted to lectures, but often the lectures flow into the laboratory and project work; just as frequently, impromptu lectures initiated by student questions are given at the various field or project sites.