Summer courses

Course offerings

Each summer, ASU BIOS offers a suite of courses for both undergraduate and graduate students that capitalize upon the expertise of our faculty and visiting scientists. These popular courses provide many participants with the opportunity to study topics in marine science that might not be offered within the curricula of their home institutions. Each course comprises lectures, laboratory exercises, and complementary field components that build upon what is learned in the classroom.

Applications for 2025 Summer Courses are now open, apply here.

Instructor: Kyla Flook (ASU BIOS, Dive Safety Officer)

Course Overview

The Research Diving Methods (RDM) course aims to familiarize participants with the fundamentals of scientific diving, both theoretical and practical. Research methods and practices are taught in class and then subsequently rehearsed on SCUBA during open-water sessions in the field. Underwater research techniques include navigation, search and recovery procedures, rescue diving, proper usage of lift bags and mapping techniques. A series of introductory science lectures provide the basic understanding of why and how marine scientists study communities using SCUBA. These lectures are integrated with field work to practice data acquisition using a range of methods and equipment, such as underwater surveys to measure coral communities, coral condition monitoring to measure coral bleaching and disease, coral recruitment surveys, reef fish counts, seagrass surveys, common restoration techniques and underwater cementing, blue water diving to study planktonic communities, and marine archaeology. By the end of the course, participants will be trained to the standards defined by the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS), of which ASU BIOS is an organizational member. Future renewals will be subject to AAUS requirements. During the course, participants will also have the option to elect into additional specialist PADI qualifications, such as Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver.

This course is aimed at all SCUBA enthusiasts who are looking to expand their experiences and skill sets whilst being immersed in marine science. In addition, given the usefulness and increasingly common employment of SCUBA as a research tool for marine science, undergraduate students possessing underwater research training will enjoy a competitive advantage. The course syllabus and further information can be found here.

Prerequisites:

Participants must already be SCUBA certified (minimum of open water certified or internationally recognized equivalent). A minimum of 12 dives and at least one dive in the past six months is highly recommended. Per AAUS guidelines, participants are expected to provide all their own equipment as well as proof of recent gear servicing (regulators and BCD) within the 12 months prior to the course. To be permitted to dive at ASU BIOS, you must complete, and return to the Dive Safety Officer, various forms and meet certain medical safety standards, which will require a physical examination from a health practitioner prior to arrival in Bermuda. The student dive information package (SDIP), including all such forms and supplemental information, will be provided after notification of acceptance on this course.

Lead Instructor: Dr. Stuart Robertson (ASU BIOS)

Co-instructors: Dr. Chloe Carbonne (ASU BIOS) and Dr. Brett Jameson (ASU BIOS)

Course Overview

The overall aim of this course is to study the biology and ecology of tropical corals as well as exploring their response to environmental changes, including those driven by projected global climate scenarios. The course examines the biological, physical, biogeochemical, and evolutionary processes that determine reef growth, function, and resilience, spanning scales from individual organisms to entire reef systems. Topics include coral metabolism and physiology at cellular, organismal, and community levels; determinants of community structure and diversity, focusing on trophic dynamics and species interactions; and reef resilience and acclimatization to environmental change, with an emphasis on reproduction, recruitment, symbiosis, and evolution.

Lectures will be complemented with field and laboratory exercises, where students will gain first-hand experience in coral reef research methods and health monitoring. Field activities include benthic surveys, water quality analysis, assessments of coral recruitment and recovery, bleaching and disease monitoring, fish ecology, and nocturnal reef observations. Laboratory experiments will focus on coral physiology, including symbiosis, metabolism, and environmental stress responses.

The Coral Reef Ecology course at ASU BIOS is an intensive and integrated program aimed at upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. The course consists of lectures, precepts, laboratory exercises, field (SCUBA) surveys, and readings from primary literature, with attention given to active areas of research. It also includes input from current coral researchers working at ASU BIOS (including Dr. Chloe Carbonne and Dr. Brett Jameson), providing students with insights into ongoing studies and real-world applications. The program includes the development of an oral presentation, where students will analyze and present findings from field and lab data collected during the course. The course syllabus and further information can be found here.

Prerequisites:

• Completion of University-level Biology and Ecology courses; Marine Science 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 ASU BIOS participants must complete, and return to the Dive Safety Officer, various forms and meet certain health safety standards, which will require a physical examination from a health practitioner prior to arrival in Bermuda. The student dive information package (SDIP), including all such forms and supplemental information, will be provided after notification of acceptance to this course. Diving participants must already be SCUBA certified (minimum of open water certified or internationally recognized equivalent). A minimum of 12 dives and at least one dive in the past six months is highly recommended.

Application & scholarship information

Application deadline: April 30th

See Summer Course FAQs

The online application form for 2025 courses is available here. The deadline for receipt of completed applications and required supporting documents is April 30. All complete applications received by the closing date will be considered in the first round of admissions and scholarship allocations. Late applications will be considered until the courses are full.

Summer course fees are $5,000 (which includes 3-weeks of tuition, campus accommodation and meals).

Partial scholarships are available to all applicants to assist with course fees. Scholarship funds do not cover travel expenses or medical/travel insurance. To apply for a scholarship please fill out the appropriate sections of the application form, including your statement of need. Please note that full scholarships are only awarded in exceptional circumstances, with preference given to students from low- and middle-income countries.

All U.K. students (U.K. citizens and non-U.K. students attending a U.K. university/college) who apply for financial support will be considered for U.K. Associates of BIOS summer course scholarship assistance. All Canadian students are likewise eligible for scholarship support from the Canadian Associates of BIOS.

Dalhousie University students may apply for scholarships to attend BIOS summer courses through the Dalhousie-BIOS Experiential Learning Fund; please contact the Head of the Dalhousie-BIOS Experiential Learning Fund Committee, Dr. Leanne Stevens (ADAScience@dal.ca), for further information and application instructions.

Please refer to the Summer Course FAQs for answers to common questions prior to contacting us. Please note that ASU BIOS may cancel a summer course if there is insufficient enrollment.

Course dates, travel & insurance

Advertised course dates are the first and last days of the course, which begin on a Monday and end on a Friday. Participants should plan to arrive the day before the course starts and depart on the day after the course ends. Participants who need to arrive or depart outside of the course dates should contact our Accommodation Manager (Jane Burrows, jane.burrows@bios.asu.edu) to enquire about the availability and pricing of accommodation. Space, if available, will be allocated on a first come first serve basis and will be at the participant’s expense. Reservations must be confirmed prior to flight purchase. Please note that the type and location of accommodation available for additional nights may be different from that provided during the course.

All visitors to Bermuda must have a return (outgoing) ticket, proof of which may be requested by immigration officials upon arrival at the airport. All visitors must also possess a passport valid for at least 45 days after their planned date of departure from Bermuda.

Foreign nationals travelling to Bermuda do not require an entry visa. However, proof of residency or a valid transit/multi re-Entry visa (MRV) for the U.S., U.K., or Canada may be required for non-U.S./U.K./Canadian citizens, depending upon your country of citizenship. If required, participants, must be in possession of this upon arrival. Please review Immigration Information to check Bermuda Department of Immigration requirements prior to purchasing flight tickets.

Medical and travel insurance are not covered by BIOS - medical insurance is required for the duration of your stay and is the sole responsibility of the participant. All those visiting ASU BIOS must ensure that they have (or can obtain) sufficient insurance to cover any potential emergency medical costs while in Bermuda.