Overview

AustraLearn and Murdoch University are pleased to offer a 3-week marine science program on one of the most pristine coral reefs in the world. The Ningaloo Reef is protected by the Ningaloo Marine Park and offers students an amazing location and a unique experience. The course covers three main areas: the diversity and physical processes of WA marine habitats, with a focus on coral reef environments; the biodiversity of reef organisms; and biological processes, with a focus on coral reefs ecosystems.

A series of 15 lectures will provide a physical and biogeographical background to WA coral reefs, WA reef biodiversity and details of key biological and ecological processes of coral reefs. Additional non-assessed lectures on data analysis and the Ningaloo Marine Park and other special lectures may be added or presented at Ningaloo Reef, depending on availability of guest lecturers; examples include indigenous speakers, government agency representatives and visiting researchers.

Location

Western Australia is one of Australia’s best-kept secrets! The State is adored for its brilliant blue skies, warm sunny climate and white sandy beaches.

PERTH
Perth, with a population of approx. 1.6 million and a climate similar to San Diego,CA, offers access to key locations in the Pacific Rim and areas along the Indian Ocean. Inland from Perth are the vineyards of the scenic Swan Valley. The adjacent city of Fremantle, known for hosting the Americans Cup, offers yachting enthusiasts a chance to look at the boating and fishing museums and to sample seafood in one of the restored Edwardian buildings.

CORAL BAY
Coral Bay is a small settlement that lies protected from the Indian Ocean by the Ningaloo Reef. It is Australia 's only fringing reef. In contrast to other locations the coral starts right at the water's edge. The fish and the coral are very accessible to all including small children. Fish and coral can be experienced either snorkeling or on one of the Coral viewing boats. It is about 50 km to the North of the tropic of Capricorn, some 120 km south of Exmouth in Western Australia . The weather is mild, without the humidity that is often associated with tropical climates. It is a holiday destination for Western Australians together with some overseas visitors.

NINGALOO REEF
The Ningaloo Reef meets the beach of the North West Cape . It is a virtually untouched barrier reef of 260km length protecting a shallow, brilliant white sandy lagoon of clear tropical waters. One of the rare places on earth where you are able to walk from the beach straight onto a coral reef. More than 500 species of tropical fish and 220 species of coral make up the Ningaloo Reef; a protected marine park. With the sea only up in your knees, allow the many colored fish to swim and feed between your legs. From eighteen months to eighty years of age enjoy the thrill of snorkeling amid the dazzling display of tropical species and colors of fish and coral in the shallows – "like swimming through the stars.”

Academic Focus

Proposed Lecture and Laboratory Schedule

LECTURE TOPICS:
Oceanography of Western Australia
Marine chemistry
Biogeography of the Western Australian marine environment
Introduction to Western Australian marine habitats
Coral reefs: structure and origins
Ecology of coral reefs: organismal interaction
Reef fish communities
Corals: biology and reproduction
Primary production and calcification
Symbiosis
Trophic levels and interactions
Reefs and Global Climate Change
Human impact on coral reef ecosystems
Reef conservation and restoration
Spatial information and marine science

OPTIONAL EXTRA LECTURES (could be given at Coral Bay)"
Ningaloo Marine Park
Data analysis techniques

LABORATORY/TUTORIAL TOPICS:
Lagoon/benthos
Photosynthesis and respiration of marine organisms
Intertidal communities
Pelagic fauna, fish and megafauna
Symbiotic relationships
Macroalgae and seagrasses
Plankton dynamics
Coral community monitoring and analysis

PROJECTS:
Flexible – to be decided by the groups (groups of 4). All groups would complete two projects. There are many possible topics; these could include:
- Fish behavior
- Community structure and physical impacts
- Grazing on coral reefs
- Plankton studies
- Benthic communities
- GIS analysis of community structure

Other possibilities include projects aligned with Reef Watch and Seagrass Watch monitoring programmes proposed for the Coral Bay region.

Course Structure/Itinerary

COURSE STRUCTURE

Format: 15 x 60-minute lectures, 5 x laboratory classes, 5 x tutorials in one week; followed by a 12-day intensive field camp.

Assessment: 1 x 2-hour theory exam (40%); laboratory notebooks (15%); group presentations (15%); final project reports (30%).

Text: There is no prescribed text for this unit; it is anticipated that a unit reader containing PowerPoint slides of all lectures will be available to students, with additional literature for project work available via the Murdoch and Research Station libraries.

Credit : You will earn four 200/300-level credits on a Murdoch University transcript.



ITINERARY

Days 1-6 Lectures, lab classes and tutorial sessions at Murdoch University in Perth, WA. Exam on final day at Murdoch.

Days 7-8 Travel to Coral Bay (stopping off along the way at destinations such as Pinnacles, Kalbarri, Shark Bay) Arrival and orientation.

Days 9-17 Selection and commencement of group projects.

Day 18 Group presentations.

Day 19 Leave Coral Bay.

Day 20 Arrive back in Perth.

More About Murdoch

Murdoch University has an outstanding reputation for Marine and Environmental Science, being the first university in Australia to offer environmental science as a program of study. Since its inception, Murdoch has housed the UN Environmental Technology Centre, one of five in the entire world, and has become the home of the Center for Fish and Fisheries Research, and the Western Australian Marine Science Institute.

Murdoch University is set on a beautifully landscaped campus, which is located approximately 20 minutes by bus (nine miles) from Perth ’s city center and 10 minutes by bus (5 miles) from the popular cafe district of Fremantle.

Program Highlights

•Visit the undiscovered Ningaloo Reef—just as spectacular as the Great Barrier Reef, but is accessible right from the beach

•Study and learn in Western Australia, a fabulous destination that is Australia’s best-kept secret

•Learn from faculty at Murdoch University, one of the leading marine and environmental science universities in the Southern Hemisphere

Who It’s For

Open to all undergraduate students whether or not you have a science background, but is best suited to those who have taken least two college-level courses of general biology.

Fees

Program Fees

$3,730.00

Fee Includes

All domestic travel within Australia, accommodation, most meals, all lectures, field trips, and excursions. International airfare is an additional cost.

Fee Semester

The above fee is the estimated fee for Summer 2008. Fees are subject to change for future terms.

Facts

Location: Perth, Western Australia
Overseas Students: 0
Staff: 0
Total Enrolment: 0

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have the required GPA and have completed at least the equivalent of one year of full-time study at the university/college level, including two college-level biology classes.

Required GPA: 2.50

University Specific Scholarships

Murdoch University is sponsoring one $500 AUD scholarship for the 2009 program. A scholarship application will be available once accepted to the program.