The Development of a Marine Biology Field Trip to the Bay Islands of Honduras

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to give students at Arrowhead High School an opportunity to participate in a marine biology field trip to the Bay Islands of Honduras. This field trip provided students with an environmental experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. While in the islands the students participated in 12 Scuba dives on the coral reefs surrounding Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands. Students also had experiences with dolphins that are being studied at the Roatan Institute of Marine Sciences (RIMS). These first hand experiences gave students an awareness of marine environments, and the importance of preserving them. In the summer of 2001 nineteen Arrowhead students and one student from Oconomowoc participated in a weeklong trip to the Bay Islands of Honduras. The students were immersed into a foreign culture, and literally submerged into the world of marine biology. Each student on the trip was scuba certified, and participated in dives on the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. To complete the project I enlisted the help of Dive and Discovery, a business run by Michael Anderson. Michael and I worked closely together to organize the trip. Michael is a certified scuba master who has experience in training groups like the one I put together at Arrowhead. Dive and Discovery coordinated travel arrangements with the airlines, and the resort we chose to use on Roatan. Dive and Discovery also provided the scuba certification of the students. The decision of which dive resort to use on Roatan was based on facilities, educational programs, and safety. Anthony's Key Resort was chosen because of its outstanding reputation in these areas. Anthony's Key is one of the more expensive resorts on the island, but proved to be worth the extra money. The resort has comfortable accommodations, great food, safe boats, knowledgeable dive masters, and outstanding educational programs. Anthony's Key provided students with nightly lectures on the reefs surrounding Roatan. Topics included the mutualism between coral and zooxanthellae, fish identification, sea turtles, and two lectures on dolphins. Students were also given the opportunity to swim with dolphins, and participate in a training session. These experiences gave students a connection to this marine environment they could not have made in Wisconsin. This field trip was designed to give students an environmental experience they otherwise would not have had, and judging by the feedback given by the students it was a worthwhile experience.