I AM AERIN BORDEN, a sophomore studying Health Policy and Management and Data Science at UNC Chapel Hill. When searching through UNC’s summer course catalog, I came across the UNC Coral Reef Ecology and Management Maymester. Greg Gangi started the program in 2002 in collaboration with Sennai Habtes, a UNC alum and native of St. Thomas, USVI. 

Brian Naess became the lead lecturer in 2020 and has led more than 20 trips. Brian works for UNC’s Institute for the Environment and co-directs EcoStudio, an undergraduate program that guides students toward internships in sustainability. Brian and his now-wife Liz, were both TAs for the program when Greg led it! 

Coral Reef Ecology and Management, which translates to the ENEC (259) class, is a three-hour class that combines preclass readings, lectures, and experiential learning. Before leaving for St. John, our group of around 30 students met on UNC’s campus for three days to read and discuss critical physical and chemical characteristics of reef environments, coral reef ecology, and strategies to protect and manage reef environments. The Coral Digest (www.coraldigest.org. ), our class textbook, is a comprehensive Wiki page on coral reefs and marine life written by students.

 On the island, we stayed in permanent tents at Cinnamon Bay campground in the Virgin Islands National Park. Each tent had a small stove we used to prepare our meals for the week. Cooking and eating together was one of my favorite ways to spend time with my tent mates. The food was good, with the proper spices and usually hot sauce. 

Each day, we headed to the beach around 9:30 AM. Upon arrival, we hiked down to the beach, put on our gear, and got in the water. Each beach usually had a scenic hike for students, the best being a 7-mile hike to a waterfall and petroglyphs. 

After snorkeling, we wrote species lists noting all the fish, coral, and creatures we saw. Toward the end of the trip, seeing a new species that you had not yet seen or that was rare in the region was exciting. On one of the final days, I spotted a Reef Scorpionfish on the ocean floor whose camouflage resembled a rock. Finally, on our last full day on the island, we circuited the island on a catamaran, stopping to snorkel at more remote locations.

 From my time in St. John, I developed an appreciation for the area. Not only is it one of the most beautiful places on the planet, but the island has taken the initiative to ensure it stays that way. From banning non-reef-safe sunscreen to our class conversation with 

Sennai Habtes, a member of NOAA Fisheries and UNC alum, who works to maintain the area’s biodiversity, I can tell how native and longtime residents want to protect their home and all its species. 

Brian set up our 10 Days in St. John so that the coral and biodiversity improved daily. This, a lot of times, meant we were in less convenient locations. It was amazing to see how reefs could flourish away from the destruction and litter brought by people. Human activities are the number one reason coral is dying from increased ocean temperatures and acidification, so it’s hard not to feel a little responsible. It was sad to see bleached coral, knowing it likely can’t be brought back. Simultaneously, there was something very hopeful about the patches of regrowth sheltering and feeding squirrel fish and bluestripe snapper. I applied to take ENEC 259 because it is rare to be presented with an opportunity to learn about our world experientially. I’m so glad I did.