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- Winter Session (Dec. 20, 2024 - Jan. 9, 2025).  Application Deadline, Dec. 10, 2024

- Lonnie Kaczmarsky, Ph.D., Lonnie Kaczmarsky, Ph.D., ITEC, Florida International University, phone: (201) 704-8065, lkacz001@fiu.edu.

- Peter N. Lahanas, Ph.D., ITEC, Northeastern University, lahanas@itec-edu.org.

-  Tanner Frost, University of New Hampshire, phone: 603-833-3544, Tanner.frost@unh.edu.

-  Leonor Ceballos, Ph.D., cand., ITEC, University of Melbourne, Australia, lceballosmeraz@gmail.com.

Course Location: Bocas del Toro Biological Station, Boca del Drago, Isla Colon, Republic of Panama.  The biological station is located on a hill facing Almirante Bay and Volcan Baru on the mainland.  Coral reef and lowland tropical rainforest ecosystems are immediately accessible from the field station.  This juxtaposition of the two most biologically-diverse ecosystems along with Panama's rich cultural diversity provides tremendous opportunities for education and research.

Course Description: The ITEC course model is built around experiential learning in three basic areas, field data collection methods and analysis, independent research, and cultural experience.  The availability of tropical marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems adjacent to the field station provides unparalleled opportunities for education and research.  Each course begins with an orientation period designed to familiarize the student with forest trails systems, coral reef locations and ecosystems available for study.  This is followed by a week of intensive instruction concerning the field methods and techniques employed for data collection specific to the course subject.  Up to six hours of field instruction will be provided each day and will be in the form informal lectures, group projects, demonstrations and exercises.  Formal lectures will take place in the classroom during the day or at night along with various assigned readings, discussions or critiques.  With knowledge gained from these experiences and under the guidance of faculty, students will design and write an independent research proposal on a topic of their choosing.  At mid-course the entire field station community will embark on a three-day field trip to the Boquete highlands where students will have the opportunity to experience high elevation montane (cloud) forest and low elevation seasonal (dry) forest on the same day.  This trip also provides a cultural experience as we travel widely across western Panama, stopping at various locations in route.  On return to the field station students will have five to seven days to carry out their independent research project.  Towards the end of the course students will analyze their data, write a technical report and present their findings during a station-wide symposium.  Please contact the instructor or ITEC for detailed information.

Course Length: ITEC Winter field courses are about three weeks in length. Winter 24/25 will run from December 20, 2024 through January 9, 2025.

Tuition: $2000 USD.  Tuition fee includes all lodging, meals and airport transfers in Bocas del Toro.  The tuition also covers transportation and lodging during the three-day cloud forest field trip on the mainland.

Registration Deadline: December 10, 2024. ITEC courses are limited to 10 students (5 for CAT) and applications will be evaluated as they arrive.  . If you believe that your application may arrive late, notify ITEC.

Grading and Course Credit:  Up to 6 units of credit will be given, 3 for the lecture portion and 3 for the field portion.  A letter grade will be assigned based on exams, reports, proposals, attendance at lectures, as well as by less tangibles such as personal attitude, motivation, and contribution to the course.  Course credit must be arranged through the student’s institution.  Contact ITEC for details.

Contact Information:  , 2911 NW 40th PL, Gainesville, FL 32605, phone: 352-367-9128 (Gainesville office) or phone or WhatsApp: +507-6853-2134 (Field Station in Panama), emails: itec@itec-edu.org, or peterlahanas@gmail.com.  ITEC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1996.

Coastal Marine Education and Research Academy (CMERA) is now accepting applications for the summer 2025 Shark and Ray Research Project in Clearwater, Florida!!

We are now partnered with , a new 4 year private collge just for marine iology and marine conservation that offers 60 days of experience in the field each year! 

Summer Program: Professor led, hands-on, marine field research experience in Clearwater, Florida. All participants will be involved in all aspects of a local population study on sharks and rays. This includes setting and retrieving nets and longlines, handling and identifying captured animals, tagging and measuring all captured sharks and rays, collecting DNA, recording data, and releasing animals. Each day begins with a lecture on shark and ray identification, biology, physiology, and conservation as well as our local ecosystems, species, and other conservation topics. After the 1 - 2 hour lecture in the morning, the day continues with approx 6 hours of field research aboard our vessels.

Who should attend: Anyone 18 years of age or older interested in pursuing a career in the natural sciences would greatly benefit from this hands-on opportunity. This includes incoming freshmen, currently enrolled students, and college graduates. This program provides invaluable research and animal handling experience. Such unique field training will make you a competitive candidate for future internships, graduate school, and jobs. There are no prerequisites and no previous experience is necessary.

Course credit: Most students receive credit for our program and should discuss receiving course credit for this program with their advisor. Whether or not you receive course credit, this field research experience will be a very beneficial addition to your résumé or CV. Credit is often listed as research experience, internship credits, independent study, capstone project, marine biology/science credit, and other related titles.

Housing: Affordable and fully furnished housing is available to our summer program participants and includes Wi-Fi, a full kitchen, linens, and laundry facilities.

Transportation: After arriving in the Tampa/Clearwater, FL area, transportation is provided to/from: airport, bus station, our classrooms and boats, and the grocery store.

Participants who attend 4 or more weeks will receive further tuition discounts.

To enroll in this unique and amazing hands-on program and for more detailed information, please visit .

Look for available for academic credit; you will want to set it up as an independent study through your home institution.

• (Appledore Island, Maine), Cornell University & UNH
• , University of Virginia
• , University of North Carolina
• , Duke University Marine Lab
• , University of Iowa
• (UNDERC), Michigan/Montana
• (KBS), Michigan State University
• , University of Colorado
• , Colorado (accr. by UMontana)
• , University of Montana
• , University of Washington
• , Alaska

• , Mexican Caribbean (accr. by UMontana)
• , Caribbean, Atlantic & Pacific voyages (accr. by Univ of South Florida)
• (ITEC)
• , Costa Rica & South Africa
• - Costa Rica