Practicum in Field Environmental Geosciences: Galapagos Islands

(2 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The course will explore the complex interplay between geological and biological processes on the Galapagos islands, as well as the crucial role the islands played historically as Darwin developed his theory of evolution. The course will meet once each week for 1.5 hours with discussions of the geology, ecology, and evolutionary biology of the islands. There is an optional 8-day trip to the Galapagos Islands that complements the course, with a prior application and trip fees required. The field trip to the Galápagos is optional, it is not an alternate to class requirements, and it is not a means of earning extra credit in the course. Students who go on the trip will develop and conduct research projects while on the trip. Students who opt to take the course without going on the field trip will conduct research projects either using observations made by trip participants or using literature sources. All students will report results of the research during the second half of the semester course meetings.