Happy New Year 2014! ISDSI Fall ’13 students have begun their month-long internships and independent research projects this week throughout northern Thailand. As the ISDSI staff prepare for the arrival of a new group of Spring semester students, here’s one last look at this past Fall semester.

Oceans Ecology, the final course for Fall students, brought the experiential classroom to the islands of the Adang archipelago and Ban Jao Mai, a coastal Muslim village in Trang province. Students surveyed and explored mudflats, coral reefs, and caves, speaking with local villagers about local resource management in mangroves and meeting with National Park staff to learn about island tourism and the livelihoods of indigenous people groups within Park boundaries. In kayaks, a long-tailed boat, and by foot, students explored the unique culture and ecology of southern Thailand.