Under the guidance of their faculty mentors, participants in the program will design, implement, analyze and report on independent laboratory and field research projects. Research areas include aspects of the ecology and early life history stages of marine fishes and invertebrates, coral reef ecology, evolution and history of benthic communities, plant/animal interactions in seagrass ecosystems, marine conservation biology, the role of microorganisms in transforming organic and inorganic compounds in marine environments, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology, and shallow water near shore physical oceanography and biogeochemistry. In addition, participants will be offered a variety of opportunities outside of the formal program, including support for travel to major scientific meetings and extended research cruises.