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School For Field Studies

Marine Resource Management Studies

This is a field based program for E3b, Ecology, Envirnmental studies and biology students. SFS teams with local agencies. Student field research is helping to provide the local government, community, and tourism developers with advice that will help sustain the economic, societal, and ecological stability of South Caicos and its island community. With so many local residents dependent upon marine resources for their livelihood, and the likelihood of increasing tourism, finding viable options for managing fisheries and conserving critical habitats, including coral reefs, is crucial. Snorkeling and SCUBA diving in waters surrounding South Caicos, students learn to identify a wide range of marine organisms and habitats, and learn about marine ecology and coastal ecosystems. Students confront the challenges of fisheries management and analyze the costs and benefits of potential new fisheries. Assessing the pros and cons of resource management and habitat conservation options, and the social and economic implications of these options, brings students face-to-face with the real-life dilemmas faced by the governmental regulators and the residents of South Caicos.

Recent research indicates that conch and lobster nursery areas in dense sea grass beds need urgent protection in order to sustain these economically important resources. SFS students research the distribution and role of the seagrass habitats in the coastal environment of South Caicos. With the Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park at their doorstep, students are able to evaluate the concept of marine protected areas (MPAs) as a resource management tool. Students help monitor the condition of the spectacular coral reefs, both inside and outside the MPAs, using scientifically rigorous monitoring techniques. Based on their field observations, students assess the validity of indicator species for reef health, the effects of diver tourism, marine species interactions, the impact of coral diseases, and many other issues related to marine natural resource harvesting, conservation, and monitoring.