Following his review, deLanglade started to organize the field study experience on San Salvador for students, and in 1978, he returned to the Bahamas for a week of field studies with a small group of Wittenberg students interested in marine science. That was 25 years ago, and deLanglade has returned every other summer since then.

Throughout that time, the program has evolved considerably. When Robert Morris, professor of geology, co-taught the program with deLanglade for the first 10 years, it had more of a geological focus. When Tim Lewis, associate professor of biology, and Ruth Lewis, biology lab coordinator, joined deLanglande 12 years ago, they brought a student research emphasis. Kathleen Reinsel, assistant professor of biology, and James Welch, assistant professor of biology, joined the team two years ago and now bring more marine expertise to the mix.

The number of students has also increased with 20 to 30 now accepting the challenge as well as the length of stay from one week to four. Professors’ spouses also make the trip to assist the diverse mix of students.

Currently, 19 other colleges participate in the program at the field station, including Miami University of Ohio, the University of South Carolina, Kent State University and Youngstown State University.

“It’s unique for a school our size to offer this kind of program in Ohio,” deLanglade said. “It’s also a great time and a neat experience for all of us and our students. Every time, I learn something new.”

Although the clear blue tropical waters splashing against the white sandy Bahamian beaches may tempt the students to spend their days sun-bathing and swimming, the majority of their time is actually spent out in the field conducting research and collecting samples or in the classroom. Students earn nine credits if they complete the program’s requirements, so the classroom activities, research components and field trips are intense.

“Field trips had us scale small cliffs, both up and down, climb through holes in overhanging rocks onto small islands covered in plant life, visit a cave partly underwater and inhabited by bats, and swim out to numerous cays to view some of the most spectacular reefs in the Atlantic Ocean,” explained Christina Dierkes ’05 and Megan Porter ’03, both of whom participated in the program last summer. They also joined faculty and fellow students in cleaning up a beach as part of a long-term faculty-driven research project on trash accumulation.

“Last summer, a rusted 50-gallon drum of oil washed up on the shore,” deLanglade said. “We also found hospital waste andbottles from around the world just to name a few items. It’s a real eye-opening experience for everyone.”

In addition to varied research-oriented field trips every day, which can include numerous snorkeling adventures, participants are also required to attend hour-long lectures every night, Monday through Saturday, and prepare for group presentations and lab tests. At the same time, they must conduct research on individual topics of their choice for a final research paper.

The students are then expected to present their findings at conferences sponsored by the Ohio Academy of Science, the National Conferences for Undergraduate Research (NCUR) or during a poster session upon their return to campus. Among the topics tackled by last year’s participants were fire coral, response of sea urchins to external stimuli, nesting habits of tropicbirds, snail migration, hermit crabs, fish-feeding behavior and the culture of native San Salvadorans.

Aside from their studies, students also must learn to adjust to their new environment and accommodations. During the last trip, deLanglade recalled, San Salvador endured 17 inches of rain, more than the island receives annually. The intense heat, absence of air conditioning, lack of dairy products and the millions of flesh-chewing insects took Jessica Straw ’04 a little by surprise. Lost luggage, ants and bug-sprayed nights were some of sophomore Lindsay Veit’s early memories. Participant Jennifer Biehl ’04 also remembers the phone not working.

“The phone worked whenever it felt like it, so it was difficult to keep in touch with people back home,” she said.

Despite these inconveniences, all three loved the experience. “The best part of the trip, other than experiencing a different culture and getting to know the other 27 students there, was seeing the vast diversity of creatures living in the sea,” Biehl said, recalling watching a bottlenose dolphin with her calves swim past her and fellow participants. “That was one event I’ll never forget.”

“The lectures and research we did were more of a desired activity than a grueling one,” Veit added. “The professors loved everything they taught us. The enthusiasm from them and the students was something I had never seen before.”

Veit also remembers the island’s beaches. “One particular beach we visited a few times, the Grotto, was the most perfect beach. The sand was perfectly white, the ocean a beautiful shade of light blue. I could have sat for days and just stared at the waves crashing against the rocks on the shore, the birds circling above our heads, gliding through the cloudless sky toward the distant skyline that kissed the ocean’s clear blue surface.”