One specimen of each species may be sacrificed for taxonomic purposes and preserved. No living corals may be collected, but the museum in your classroom will have identified specimens of each Caribbean species. The following describes my field course. See tongue and groove formations below at 10 m depth. Then go to sunken ship Balfour in 4 m depth.
Students can snorkel down to ship and examine colony of pillar coral on bow.
Then go to St. Ann's Bay bottom reef in water varying from 1 to 5 m depth. Swim in narrow passages in reef. See living wall of corals, chase peacock flounders in shallows, but be careful not to step on the many sea urchins and sea cucumbers covering the bottom. Depart on boats for oceanographic survey. Sample water and do plankton tow.