Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2023 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, across the country, and even around the world.

Rising junior women's basketball player Megan Winters, a biology and environmental science major, studied aquatic life around the island of South Caicos in the Caribbean Sea.

This summer I spent four weeks studying sea turtles, octopuses, spotted eagle rays and rock iguanas in the environment surrounding the island of South Caicos. I was able to learn about the ecology and conservation of marine fauna through classroom lectures, snorkel and scuba diving sessions, and species identification exercises. 

I am a biology and environmental science major and have a particular interest in marine biology. Last summer, I went to Maine to study field marine biology at the Darling Marine Center. [Professor of Biology] Dr. Erika Iyengar ran a very interesting program there and I really enjoyed the field research. 

To expand on those interests, I looked for a program that would be more ocean-based and offered scuba diving. The course I am attending now gave me the opportunity for both. The scuba diving has been particularly interesting. We have done both day and night dives where we have seen sea turtles, octopuses, fish, rays and, most importantly, sharks. Getting to see the sharks up close while on the dives was amazing. 

The classroom work has involved research and writing papers as well as creating scientific posters on various marine biology topics. One of the more fascinating aspects of the program was seeing how the tourism industry has affected the marine animals of the island. For instance, while going on tours of the island, vacationers have been feeding the iguanas. This has adversely impacted their behaviors in terms of how they look for food and interact with humans. 

You might not associate Allentown with studying sharks and turtles in the oceans, but it is possible. The base of knowledge I developed through my biology and environmental classes has really helped me in this summer program. And I've been able to build on the field research skills I started to develop last summer in Maine.

Most people think of beaches and vacations when they hear of the Turks & Caicos Islands. But I have had a great time studying marine life and getting to really appreciate just how fragile yet important these ecosystems are.