Summer courses

Coral Reef Ecology: Functional Ecology of Coral Reefs

June 22 - July 10, 2026

Instructor: Dr. Eric Hochberg (ASU BIOS)

Course Overview:

Take a three-week scientific expedition to study coral reefs in Bermuda and add lectures. This intensive course is geared towards upper-level undergraduates, graduate students and even postdocs. It examines how environmental factors influence reef benthic communities and fundamental reef metabolic processes. Students gain hands-on experience with advanced field and lab techniques to measure reef function, water chemistry, light, and hydrodynamics, while exploring how reefs respond to environmental change.

The overall aim of this course is to explore how environment impacts reef benthic communities and the fundamental processes of reef metabolism. Production of organic and inorganic carbon underpins growth and maintenance of the reef ecosystem. These processes are strongly influenced by environmental parameters including water chemistry, hydrodynamics, light availability/capture, and temperature, as well as the taxonomic composition of the community itself. Reef geomorphological and ecological zonation demonstrates that benthic communities have adapted to (and influence) their prevailing environmental conditions. At the same time, conditions are never static, and communities must acclimate to short- and long-term changes in their environment. A vitally important question is how global change will impact this baseline of reef function. This course provides fundamental background in reef functional ecology, as well as training in the measurement and interpretation of reef processes and environmental parameters.

This is an intensive course - a semester of material is compressed into three weeks. Course logistics include readings, lectures, discussions, presentations, and extensive laboratory and field work. Next to gaining a solid understanding of coral reef ecology and reef functional processes, students gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation and techniques for collecting and analyzing reef community and environmental data, including building underwater photomosaics, measuring current profiles, characterizing the underwater light field, characterizing water quality, and quantifying rates of primary production and respiration using traditional and advanced approaches. Additionally, all participants will earn the PADI AWARE Specialty Certification: Coral Reef Conservation.

The course syllabus and further information can be found here.

Prerequisites:

• Completion of university-level biology and ecology courses; marine science and/or oceanography are desirable.
• The course will require boat work and the ability to work comfortably in the water with a mask and snorkel. SCUBA certification is highly recommended, as those who are SCUBA certified* will be able to undertake fieldwork underwater and learn scientific diving skills. 

*To be permitted to dive at BIOS, students must complete, and return to the ASU BIOS Dive Safety Officer, various forms and meet certain medical safety standards, which may require a physical examination from a health practitioner. The student diving information package (SDIP), including all such forms and supplemental information, will be provided after notification of acceptance on this course. A minimum of 12 dives, including at least one dive in the 6 months prior to the course, is highly recommended.

Marine Molecular Ecology

July 13 - 31, 2026

Instructor: Dr. Brett Jameson (ASU BIOS)

Co-instructor: Dr. Sheryl Murdock (ASU BIOS)

Co-instructor: Dr. Nicholas Baetge (ASU BIOS)

Course Overview:

The Marine Molecular Ecology (MME) course explores the biology, diversity, and ecological importance of microorganisms in marine environments. Participants will investigate how microbial communities mediate key biogeochemical processes and respond to environmental change. Through a blend of lectures, fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and data analysis workshops, the course integrates molecular, ecological, and computational concepts to understand microbial ecosystem dynamics from genes to ecosystem function.

Participants will gain hands-on experience aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer during an oceanographic sampling cruise to Hydrostation “S”, the world's longest-running ocean observation program. They will also:

• Examine the physiological, ecological, and evolutionary processes that structure marine microbial communities.
• Engage in hands-on field sampling and environmental data collection in coastal and open-ocean settings.
• Conduct laboratory experiments, including experimental manipulations, incubations, and DNA-based molecular surveys.
• Monitor environmental variability and place empirical findings in their broader ecological context.
• Learn and apply analytical techniques for processing and interpreting microbial community data using R.
• Critically evaluate and discuss current research articles in marine microbiology and biogeochemistry.
• Communicate scientific findings through written reports, data visualizations, and oral presentations.

This intensive three-week field course provides undergraduate and graduate students with practical experience in marine molecular ecology, with an emphasis on marine microbial communities. Course modules and laboratory exercises are designed to introduce participants to the molecular, ecological, and analytical tools used to study microorganisms and their roles in shaping marine ecosystems. Although the course centers on marine microbes, the skills developed are broadly applicable across biomedical, ecological, environmental, and life-science disciplines.

 Prerequisites:

• University-level biology, chemistry, and ecology; marine science and/or oceanography are desirable.
• Experience with basic lab techniques including proficient use of micropipettes, implementation of aseptic technique, handling of common lab chemicals, ability to follow appropriate safety protocols (including PPE).

*This course involves field work both on-board research vessels and in the water. Participants should have the ability to work comfortably in the water with a mask and snorkel and should be prepared to spend extended periods of time on a boat.

 The course syllabus and further information can be found here.