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Module 7
Trent University
Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology
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| Course Title : |
Dolphin and Whale Biology and Conservation in Tropical Asia |
| Instructor(s) : |
Dr. Bradley White
DNA Building, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8. Phone: 705-748-1011 x7113, Fax: 705-748-1132
Dr. John Wang and Shih-Chu Yang
FormosaCetus Research & Conservation Group, 310-7250 Yonge Street, Thornhill, Ontario, L4J-7X1; and National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, 2 Houwan Road, Checheng, Pingtung
County 944, Taiwan |
| Date(s) : |
May 3rd -May 20th, 2010 (2 week – Trent 0.5 credit).
Depart for Hong Kong May 3rd and depart from Taiwan May 20th. |
| Location : |
Hong Kong and Taiwan |
| Cost : |
$1,800 for the course + airfare (~$1,600). Includes domestic travel, accommodation, meals,
field and laboratory expenses. Deposit of $250 to home university is required with application.
$650.00 of the remaining course fee is due by March 1st (not refundable). Balance is due by
April 15th. |
| Prerequisites : |
A second year ecology course. Some experience with statistics is also recommended. |
| Description : |
Asia has some of the world’s most populated countries that have heavily exploited marine
resources and massive industrialization along coastal regions. As a result, Asia is facing some
of the worst marine conservation issues in the world. This course will introduce students to
many of the main marine conservation issues using a highly visible group of organisms.
Students will learn the kinds of information that are needed to assess and understand the
impact of human activities on cetaceans (e.g., threats, taxonomy, distribution, population
biology) and research methods to obtain such information. Students will learn research methods
at sea (such as: exploratory surveys, line-transect surveys, photo-identification) and will visit
coastal regions and fishing ports to experience the local conditions. In the laboratory, students
will be instructed in the importance of cetacean necropsies (dissections) and genetic analyses.
They will also acquire basic skills and knowledge such as species identification (of living
animals, carcasses and osteological material), data and tissue collection, general cetacean
biology, conducting research projects and critical review of literature. |
| Enrollment : |
A minimum of 15 students and a maximum of 25. |
| Evaluation : |
Evaluation will be based on the following: (1) Participation [30%]; (2) presentation of information on an assigned species [10%]; (3) Written examination including osteological and field identification [30%]; (4) Research project proposal, paper and presentation based on the application of learned techniques to current conservation issues [30%]. |
| Assignment(s) : |
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| Additional Information: |
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