The Marine Science SCUBA Field Course is designed for students and graduates with an interest in biology or conservation that are looking to gain extra knowledge, field experience, and build new skills. This is also the ideal course for dive professionals, newly trained dive masters or dive instructors who would like to add more knowledge, dive skills and scientific insight to their diving, allowing them to provide a better product to their own dive clients.

However, we are open to all levels of experience and backgrounds from keen conservationists or SCUBA divers who want to gain a deeper understanding of the marine environment to biologists looking to gain knowledge and field experience to pursue a career in their chosen scientific field.

Here is a sample of what you can expect to gain from taking part in the course:

• Work alongside field biologists and dive specialists
• Gain experience and understanding of a broad spectrum of research methods
• Practical instruction in data collection techniques and analysis.
• Comprehensive knowledge of fish, invertebrate and coral species
• Understanding of threats and challenges to the local marine environment
• Community outreach participation
• Further PADI dive qualifications, an advantage in marine science

Week 1

This week focuses on dive training and acclimatisation and a thorough introduction to the course and research. Lecture subjects include an introduction to the area, substrates, fish and invertebrate species, and the systems and processes that create the unique biodiversity found in the Cape Peninsula.

The scientific method is introduced through various Citizen Science initiatives. Practical diving sessions in this week focus on developing buoyancy skills and familiarisation with sampling techniques and equipment.

Week 2

In week two we put to use the skills developed during the first week. Research projects are introduced with comprehensive lectures on project backgrounds and methods. Students begin survey dives and collect data for the various research projects utilising the observation techniques learned in week one.

Workshops on additional skills like GIS, Freediving, and R are also introduced this week.

Week 3

Week three continues data collection for the projects introduced during week two and for new projects that will be introduced in this week. We discuss the concept of biodiversity and how this is measured from study design to statistics and inferences.

Students will also begin to process data collected in the previous weeks.

Week 4

This week wraps up the course with continued data collection and developing biological and analytical knowledge.

Lecture topics cover a variety of subjects and can include shark physiology, white shark population dynamics and population modelling and others depending on the interests of students.