NEW ONLINE WORKSHOP!

“Coral Reefs: Moorea, French Polynesia"
Online Workshop April - May 2010
Live webcast of student symposium June 11
Download a flyer - spread the word

COSEE-West (one of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence) invites formal and informal educators to participate in a free workshop, “Coral Reefs: Moorea, French Polynesia,” to be held this April - May, 2010. This invitation is open to any educators who are interested in learning more about coral reef formation and ecology.

Follow an undergraduate class from the University of California, Los Angeles as they conduct research at the Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station on Moorea, French Polynesia. In addition to three course lectures (to be available from April 12 - April 30, 2010), online workshop participants may follow student blogs (to be available from May 3 - May 21, 2010) as they discuss their research, what it’s like to live and work on a tropical island, and what they do for fun.

We will also be web-casting their finishing symposium, where the students will present their projects and their results (to be held on June 11, 2010).

Presentations
A Dr. Peggy Fong (UCLA) and graduate student teaching assistants will be online during the weekdays to interact with participants in daily discussion and question/answer sessions.

Lecture starting 4/12/2010:
Dr. David Jacobs (UCLA) will discuss the “Origin and development of coral reefs over geologic time featuring the south Pacific.” His presentation will focus on how volcanic islands and island chains are formed, what the time-line for such formations entail and how coral reefs are born.

Lecture starting 4/19/2010:
Dr. Peggy Fong (UCLA) will discuss “Ecological processes shaping modern coral reef communities: Why is algae taking over the coral reef world?” Her presentation will focus on her work studying the ecological processes that shape modern coral reef communities.

Lecture available starting 4/26/2010:
Dr. William Hamner (UCLA, Emeritus Faculty) will discuss "The Coral Reef Paradox." His presentation discusses the long-held view that coral reefs are oases in a desert. The “Coral Reef Paradox” states that highly productive ecosystems such as coral reefs should not be able to persist in such nutrient poor places like the tropical oceans, and yet they do. He discusses exactly is going on in these ecosystems and whether there is in fact a paradox at all.