Faculty Web Page: Robert Lovely

Biology Department Madison Area Technical College Room 335A Truax Campus 3550 Anderson Street Madison, Wisconsin 53704 Email: rlovely@matcmadison.edu Phone: 608-246-6720 Courses: Principles of Ecology Field Ecology Workshop Conservation Biology Environmental Science A giant anemone (Condylactis gigantea) photographed at a depth of 215 feet during an April survey of fish-coral associations on Pulley Ridge in the Gulf of Mexico. This photo was made by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) tethered to a large NOAA research vessel (photograph by NOAA Fisheries). Student interns working on a population study of cetaceans in Honduras.	A reef-associated sand cay in the Bay Islands of Honduras Research/Teaching Interests: My professional interests lie in the ecology and biogeography of hermatypic coral ecosystems and their response to anthropogenic impacts. I have looked at shallow-water reef communities in Bonaire, in the Netherlands Antilles, Belize, Honduras, Hawaii, and Panama, and deep sea coral reefs along the West Florida Shelf and Pulley Ridge in the Gulf of Mexico. I also have taught Coral Reef Ecology in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago of the Panama Caribbean. Careers in Ecology: Students with career interests in Ecology and Conservation Biology (including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial) normally complete a Master of Science or Ph.D. program before entering the job market. Academic work typically involves a combination of field and classroom experience, often combined with a field internship at a site appropriate to the career track. Internships in marine ecology, for example, are available in locations such as Bonaire, Honduras, and Panama, and can be arranged virtually throughout the Caribbean. The field of Ecology is expanding rapidly and becoming more diverse, with rewarding jobs ranging from county, state, and federal agencies of government to private-sector environmental consulting firms. Professional opportunities for women appear to be particularly available. Ecology course experiences at MATC offer students opportunities to sample the field during their first two years of undergraduate work. Think globally, act globally	A spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) glides over a Caribbean reef. An undergraduate descends with a M^2 quadrat to conduct research for my coral reef ecology course.
French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru), Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles.	Ecology Careers Links: A sense of the range of potential careers available in ecology and related disciplines may be gleaned by looking at the website of just one (admittedly large) agency—The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Courses in coral reef ecology and scientific diving are available through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) Research Station in Bonaire. Last update: 9/08