{"id":10303,"date":"2014-07-23T11:54:52","date_gmt":"2014-07-23T15:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.cos.ucf.edu\/?p=10303"},"modified":"2016-12-01T13:20:32","modified_gmt":"2016-12-01T18:20:32","slug":"swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/","title":{"rendered":"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thirteen University of Central Florida biology students swam among nurse sharks, sea turtles, eels and lionfish this month as part of a hands-on summer abroad course.<\/p>\n

The students spent a week studying more than 60 species in the depths of the Glovers Atoll, about 35 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The atoll is considered one of the most diverse sources of coral reefs in the Caribbean, providing a nursery for sharks and turtles among other creatures.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am a firm believer that study abroad and other intensive experiences are essential for truly engaging our students and preparing them for 21st century jobs,\u201d said Biology Professor Linda Walters, who led the group. \u201cIt is expected that marine science undergraduates have field and research experience to make them marketable for graduate school or the workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two-credit hour course included some classroom instruction at UCF and then a flight to Belize, where the group stayed at a remote facility in the atoll. The entire team snorkeled each day to observe and photograph dozens of species that call the atoll home. \u00a0In the evenings they discussed the tropical marine biodiversity they had encountered and the impact of threats to the world\u2019s oceans, such as climate change, overharvesting and acidification. They also collected data, completed some analysis and put presentations together on what they learned.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say that the moments that affected me the most were seeing the health of different patch reefs,\u201d said Michelle Shaffer, a junior. \u201cOn some patch reefs, there was more algae growth than corals or sponges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaffer, of Lake Mary, described how some patches of the reef were bleached as a result of disease linked to rising levels of acidity in the water.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_2058\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On the upside, she had a chance to see sharks, which she hopes will become the focus of her career after graduation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy aspiration is to be able to work for an organization like OCEARCH. For example, one OCEARCH project is tagging and tracking great white sharks,\u201d she said. \u201cThis can give us valuable information in regards to the sharks\u2019 behavior and breeding areas. In general, I want to work with GPS tracking on many different marine organisms. I\u00a0find it interesting to see how\u00a0an organism navigates the ocean and why.\u00a0This can also help us establish what parts of the ocean need to be protected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chelsea Landau, of Daytona Beach, also dreams of working with sharks after she graduates.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like this experience was beneficial because I learned about conducting field research (underwater) and how to work well with others,\u201d Landau said, a senior. \u201cI learned that one can plan something down to the minute but it might not actually go as planned, and you have to adapt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/a><\/p>\n

And while many students lamented the sickened reef, its sheer beauty struck some.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most memorable thing for me about the trip was seeing giant corals that have been there for thousands of years,\u201d said junior Lacie Anderson of Grand Island, Fla. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine all the stories they would tell if they could talk. It was like being in an old growth forest, a sight I will never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/a><\/p>\n

For Emmi Curtiss of Waterford, Wis., the trip was more than she was expecting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted the opportunity to go somewhere to learn something in the field not from a text book, but from real life,\u201d said Curtiss who is a biology major in her senior year<\/p>\n

Not only did she learn, but she got a close encounter with the rare hawksbill sea turtle.<\/p>\n

\u201cSea turtles have been my favorite animal since I was a young child, and I never had the pleasure of being in the water with one before,\u201d Curtiss said. \u201cThey are beautiful and magnificent creatures. \u00a0Though my time was short with the hawksbill, it was a moment I will never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMGP0957\"<\/a><\/p>\n

To read original story click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thirteen University of Central Florida biology students swam among nurse sharks, sea turtles, eels and lionfish this month as part of a hands-on summer abroad course. The students spent a week studying more than 60 species in the depths of the Glovers Atoll, about 35 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The atoll is considered […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":10305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[34,38,13],"tags":[437,1127,1450,2080,3056,3429,3485],"class_list":["post-10303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-biology-departments","category-breaking-news","category-news","tag-biology","tag-eels","tag-glovers-atoll","tag-linda-walters","tag-sharks","tag-turtles","tag-ucf-biology"],"yoast_head":"\nSwimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels - College of Sciences News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels - College of Sciences News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Thirteen University of Central Florida biology students swam among nurse sharks, sea turtles, eels and lionfish this month as part of a hands-on summer abroad course. The students spent a week studying more than 60 species in the depths of the Glovers Atoll, about 35 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The atoll is considered […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"College of Sciences News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-07-23T15:54:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-12-01T18:20:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2014\/07\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"275\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"183\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Judy Froehlich\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Judy Froehlich\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Judy Froehlich\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0a56f308c46b7b3e18f52d6ef199e82\"},\"headline\":\"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-07-23T15:54:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-12-01T18:20:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":656,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/29\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"biology\",\"eels\",\"Glovers Atoll\",\"linda walters\",\"sharks\",\"turtles\",\"UCf biology\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Biology\",\"COS News\",\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/\",\"name\":\"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels - College of Sciences News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/29\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-07-23T15:54:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-12-01T18:20:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0a56f308c46b7b3e18f52d6ef199e82\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/29\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/29\\\/2014\\\/07\\\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg\",\"width\":275,\"height\":183,\"caption\":\"Group of people engaged in focused activity at a table, with some leaning forward, concentrating on their task in a shaded outdoor setting.\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"College of Sciences News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/sciences.ucf.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d0a56f308c46b7b3e18f52d6ef199e82\",\"name\":\"Judy Froehlich\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/82131deccabab091c7b38fb947dcc477555aa638376e6b3cd767bfb3660bb2b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/82131deccabab091c7b38fb947dcc477555aa638376e6b3cd767bfb3660bb2b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/82131deccabab091c7b38fb947dcc477555aa638376e6b3cd767bfb3660bb2b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Judy Froehlich\"},\"url\":\"\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels - College of Sciences News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels - College of Sciences News","og_description":"Thirteen University of Central Florida biology students swam among nurse sharks, sea turtles, eels and lionfish this month as part of a hands-on summer abroad course. The students spent a week studying more than 60 species in the depths of the Glovers Atoll, about 35 kilometers off the coast of Belize. The atoll is considered […]","og_url":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/","og_site_name":"College of Sciences News","article_published_time":"2014-07-23T15:54:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-12-01T18:20:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":275,"height":183,"url":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2014\/07\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Judy Froehlich","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Judy Froehlich","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/"},"author":{"name":"Judy Froehlich","@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d0a56f308c46b7b3e18f52d6ef199e82"},"headline":"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels","datePublished":"2014-07-23T15:54:52+00:00","dateModified":"2016-12-01T18:20:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/"},"wordCount":656,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2014\/07\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg","keywords":["biology","eels","Glovers Atoll","linda walters","sharks","turtles","UCf biology"],"articleSection":["Biology","COS News","News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/","url":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/","name":"Swimming With Sharks, Turtles and Eels - College of Sciences News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2014\/07\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg","datePublished":"2014-07-23T15:54:52+00:00","dateModified":"2016-12-01T18:20:32+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d0a56f308c46b7b3e18f52d6ef199e82"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/swimming-with-sharks-turtles-and-eels\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2014\/07\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/29\/2014\/07\/corralreefclass-548x365-e1406224994387.jpg","width":275,"height":183,"caption":"Group of people engaged in focused activity at a table, with some leaning forward, concentrating on their task in a shaded outdoor setting."},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/","name":"College of Sciences News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d0a56f308c46b7b3e18f52d6ef199e82","name":"Judy Froehlich","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82131deccabab091c7b38fb947dcc477555aa638376e6b3cd767bfb3660bb2b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82131deccabab091c7b38fb947dcc477555aa638376e6b3cd767bfb3660bb2b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/82131deccabab091c7b38fb947dcc477555aa638376e6b3cd767bfb3660bb2b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Judy Froehlich"},"url":""}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciences.ucf.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}