Marine Biology Program at Goshen College

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Background

The Marine Biology Program has been a part of the Goshen College Biology Department since 1966, when Drs. C. Franklin Bishop and Jonathan N. Roth accompanied a small group of students to Pigeon Key during spring vacation. After three years the program moved to Big Pine Key. Del Layton, then mayor of the town of Layton, on Long Key, became acquainted with the program and took great interest in it. At his invitation the program moved to Layton. Marine biology laboratory sessions were for several years held in the Layton town hall! A group headed by Layton later donated a parcel of land for the purpose of building a marine biology laboratory. In 1985 GC responded to Layton's generosity by building the marine facility.

The Goshen College Marine Laboratory

The lower level of the facility is used for classroom and laboratory instruction. The upper level is divided into two dormitory units, each equipped with showers, bunks, and a kitchenette. The units are joined by a furnished living and dining area. Field work is supported by a pontoon boat and a smaller aluminum watercraft.

Courses and Activities

Students have the option of enrolling in Marine Biology (for biology majors) or Biology of the Sea (for non-biology majors). These courses are taught concurrently and represent a rigorous but rewarding academic challenge for students. Each morning of classes begins with a lecture on marine systems. Lecture topics include the geologic and human history of the Florida Keys, chemistry of marine waters, and the taxonomy and ecology of marine organisms. The field portion of the course involves group study of a designated shallow water locality in the Long Key area. Students in each group become intimately familiar with a small portion of the ocean by not only developing an appreciation for species diversity, but also the quantity of organisms present. Samples which cannot be identified in the field are brought back to the laboratory. The myriad of beautiful marine algae represents a particularly interesting challenge to identify. Study of the ocean is not limited to the research sites, daily boat trips are taken to nearby coral reefs and reef flats to expose students to a variety of other organisms and habitats. Among the most thrilling of these boat trips is the "channel swim" where students experience what it feels like to swim with fishes larger than themselves.