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Bahamian Conservation Biology Summer 2025 (6 credits)
BSC 495 (Ecological and Evolutionary Dimensions of Conservation Biology in the Bahamas, 3 cr.)
FW 445 (Human Dimensions of Conservation Biology in the Bahamas, 3 cr.)
Dr. Brian Langerhans and Dr. Nils Peterson
North Carolina State University
This page will serve as the primary source of information for the course, including the posting of readings, assignments,
relevant links, research project information, etc. Check back later for updates.
Latest Update: 29 May 2026.
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General Course Information:
Official Dates of Entire 10-week Summer Program: May 20 - August 4, 2026 (includes offsite reading, writing, assignments, lectures, etc.)
Onsite Dates in The Bahamas: June 1-15, 2026
Syllabus
Research Project Proposal Guidelines
Suggested Packing List for the trip
Fish and Coral Identification Lists
Swimming: One critical requirement for the program is the ability to swim (moderate to advanced capabilities). Many field activities require swimming (especially snorkeling), although advanced capabilities and diving certifications are not required. There will be a swim test conducted on the first day on-site to ensure that all students can safely conduct any required activity.
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Travel Logistics:
Students are responsible for air travel to/from Andros Island. We will arrive on Andros June 1st and depart on June 15th. We will provide further details regarding specific flights, but the general plan will be to fly roundtrip to Nassau, Bahamas (arriving by mid-day June 1st, leaving late afternoon-evening June 15th) using a major airline carrier, and fly roundtrip from Nassau to Fresh Creek (AKA Andros Town), Andros Island using a domestic carrier (LeAir). Your luggage will be checked to Nassau, where you will clear customs, and bring your luggage to the relevant airline desk in the Domestic Departure airport check-in.
Once in the Bahamas, be aware of "island time," and roll with the punches. Many things do not run on time, and many seeminingly simple or routine tasks in the US may take very long in the Bahamas. Be prepared for delays. However, we have found that this travel arrangement typically results in the most prompt arrivals and departures (and that more luggage typically arrives on time using the recommended travel plan).
Don't forget you need a passport to enter the Bahamas!
See the general program info page.
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--Next Deadline... 5pm May 31: submission of research project proposal first draft--
Start by reading the guidelines and suggested readings for your project, find and read additional references for your project, read and think about the brief description of your project (think about how you would best address these goals), discuss ideas with your teammates, and begin with an outline. Then expland that outline as a team into a full-fledged proposal (the full fleshing-out will occur on Andros).
Finding and reading primary literature is key--use the suggested readings as the starting points. You can quickly find more relevant articles by paying attention to the references cited in these articles and searching for yourself (e.g. Google Scholar, including seeing what papers have cited these articles).
Feel free to contact Drs. Brian Langerhans (langerhans@ncsu.edu) or Nils Peterson (nils_peterson@ncsu.edu) with specific questions. We will provide considerable further assistance/guidance after this initial draft to help you revise your plans, create a strong proposal, and make a great team proposal presentation. After some first-hand experience on the island, and substantial further on-island discussions, your final revised proposal will be due June 4th (tentative).
Be sure to follow the Research Proposal Guidelines.
Submit your proposal first rough draft by 5pm May 31st to Drs. Brian Langerhans and Nils Peterson.
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Pre-trip Readings:
The readings below are meant to provide both a general background for this study abroad program, as well as provide the initial foundation for your literature reviews for your research project. Further readings were sent via email. To better understand your topic, the more reading, the better.
- Brief introduction to some study systems and research on Andros Island:
-Read these to get a sense of the study systems and questions addressed on Andros.-
Layman et al. 2004
Langerhans et al. 2007
Heinen et al. 2013
Hayes et al. 2015
Heinen-Kay et al. 2015
Shapiro et al. 2016
Valdez et al. 2019
Bjorneras et al. 2020
Hulthén et al. 2021
Jenkins et al. 2021
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Research Project Summary:
Oral history of conch fishing
This research aims to develop an understanding of how queen conch fits within the daily lives of people on Andros Island in The Bahamas, and how that role has changed over time. Conch are in decline across their range, a critical food source for subsistence, poorly addressed in historical and social accounts, and Andros is the center of their range and hub of remaining commercial harvests. This means the descriptive information will have conservation value and be of value to interdisciplinary conservation science. The research is qualitative and not hypothesis driven, but past research on related topics in the region suggests insights about social norms, gender roles, and community adaptation for resilience may emerge from transcripts. The project will be modeled after other oral history initiatives from the region.
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