Participate in a Maymester First-Year Seminar on Shark Ecology and Conservation
Do you still need to complete your First-Year Seminar/First-Year Launch requirement? Are you interested in studying sharks in the field? The Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences is offering a special opportunity for a group of students to take a First-Year Seminar onsite at UNC-CH’s coastal field station. Guided by Professor Joel Fodrie, you’ll have the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of shark biology, conduct individual-based research on shark ecology, and gain hands-on experience in techniques for sampling and studying sharks.
EMES 89-001: Shark Ecology and Conservation
Maymester 2025 (May 14-30 2025)
Location
UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS). Located on the central North Carolina coast in Morehead City; the mission of UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences is to conduct cutting-edge research, train young scientists, provide expertise to governmental agencies and industry, and to promote new knowledge to inform public policy.
About the Course
This course will provide a foundational introduction regarding the biology, ecology, and conservation science of sharks. Leveraging the local environment near UNC’s Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS), the class will also focus heavily on field-based experiences demonstrating shark research methodologies and concepts related to the natural history of sharks, as well as the ‘ecosystem roles’ of sharks within coastal marine habitats such as salt marshes, oyster reefs, seagrass meadows, and beaches. Although focused on sharks, this seminar will highlight interdisciplinary links among marine life sciences, coastal ocean processes, and management.
About the Instructor
Joel Fodrie is an ecologist who studies the population dynamics of fishes and shellfishes, as well as the community ecology of estuarine systems. Since 2010, Dr. Fodrie has helped lead UNC’s long-term coastal shark survey (1972-present). Dr. Fodrie earned his PhD from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (2006), and his BA in Biology (Highest Honors) and History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1999). He has contributed 100+ peer-reviewed papers that explore mechanisms of population and community variability within coastal ecosystems. These articles appear in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Ecology, and BioScience. Over the last decade, he has become increasingly engaged in coastal resource management in North Carolina.
Other Information
- Students are limited to one First-Year Seminar or one First-Year Launch during their time at UNC. If you are interested in this class, please do not register for a Seminar or Launch in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025. Registration for this Maymester class will start March 2025.
- There are standard Maymester fees (expenses current for 2024; they may change for 2025) and there may be some additional expenses associated with this class. More details including cost and procedures will be provided in September 2024.
- Please note: students who are not registered for a First-Year Seminar or Launch will receive reminders in fall and spring terms to take a class to satisfy this requirement.
- More details to come soon.