Jennifer Lamb discusses Caribbean and Belize Studies

The International Studies Program at USM has a study-abroad program suited to the needs of each individual. I wanted to study-abroad in college, but I could not justify spending an entire semester at another university that might not offer the specific science courses I both needed and wanted to take. Fortunately, International Programs offered a 15-day course in marine biology in Jamaica. I enrolled and was in Jamaica during May of my freshman year.
While in Jamaica, I was enveloped not only by what I was studying, but also by the local cultures and their relationships with the marine environment. We spent almost every day exploring a different marine ecosystem, including sea-grass beds, mangrove forests, and coral reefs. When we got back to the hotel at night, we poured through our field guides to identify what we had seen earlier that day. We also spent time talking to locals about the coral reefs and their nation’s environmental practices. While on land, we visited local markets, the Bob Marley Museum, environmental agencies, and other fascinating areas. Because we were in Jamaica for only 15 days, our schedule was packed with activities; but we did have a few nights to ourselves. One night, a few of us went to the Luminous Lagoon, a small body of water full of microscopic, bioluminescent dinoflagellates. As we swam in the water, every movement we made was lit up by the light produced by the tiny organisms.
As previously mentioned, the study abroad office has the right opportunity to match anyone’s needs; and marine biology is not the only course offered in Jamaica. However, if you are looking for a different study-abroad opportunity that will still allow you to delve into the biology of another country, you should consider the tropical ecology course offered in Belize by Dr. Aimee Thomas. I am currently enrolled in this course, an 8-week upper-level biology course for which the lecture takes place during the second half of the spring semester. The lectures are our crash-course in the ecology of Belize, and the trip to Belize, we leave on May 15th and return on May 31st, will allow us to apply what we have learned. We will spend part of our trip exploring Maya ruins in Guatemala, in a Maya village in southern Belize, and on Glovers Island off of the coast of Belize. Tropical forests, mangrove forests, and coral reefs area few of the many ecosystems we will experience.
Preparing for the trip to Belize requires creativity and attention to detail. Everything we take with us we will be carrying throughout our journey, so efficient packing is absolutely necessary. Dr. Thomas has provided us with a “wish-list” of items that other students took on or needed during the trip, one of the noticeable items being Boudreaux Butt Paste, which, apparently, is the best way to treat heat-rash.
I expect the trip to Belize to surpass the trip to Jamaica, simply because it more closely matches my specific area of study. If you have heard about one program, but you don’t think that it is “the one” for you, keep looking! There is a study-abroad program that matches your interests, schedule, and bank account.