Field Stations
The department oversees the operation of six field stations. They are in the Ridge and Valley ecoregion, and their underlying geology is dominated by limestone and dolomite formations and rolling hills.
• Enterprise South Upland
• Enterprise South Wetland
• UTC Aquatic Laboratory
• Wisdom Street Wetland
• TVA Test Track Wetland
• Raccoon Mountain Caverns
The landscapes are a mix of hardwoods and conifers, and all are proximate to various water sources. The wetland habitats stay wet all year-round, but water levels vary with precipitation. The upland and aquatic landscapes create habitats for 43 species of amphibians and reptiles, 50 species of birds, and 40 species of mammals. Infrastructure includes two outdoor classrooms as well as permanent study plots, transects, drift fences, a small weather station, and boat storage. This infrastructure provides a framework for training students on basic field techniques, as well as for conducting research. The Enterprise South sites are about a 30–40-minute drive from UTC, while the other sites are within a 20-minute drive from campus.
The Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences is also affiliated with two regional biological field stations.
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, located in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, offers summer marine science field courses. The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory is a public, non-profit research facility dedicated to working toward a future of sustainable marine and coastal resources through scientific discovery, development of new technology, and education of future scientists and citizens.
Highlands Biological Station, located in Highlands, North Carolina, is a year-round biological field station with the mission to promote research and education in biodiversity studies (ecology, systematics, evolution, and conservation), with special emphasis on the diverse flora and fauna of the Appalachian Mountain region.
Other Field Stations
Field course work or internships for credit can also be arranged at other field stations.
Some other possible sites are:
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- Hopkins Marine Station - Stanford University
- Friday Harbor Laboratory
- Shoals Marine Laboratory
- Duke University Marine Laboratory
- Grice Marine Laboratory - College of Charleston
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory
- Mount Desert Biological Laboratory
- University of Michigan Biological Station
- Cowetta Long Term Ecological Research
- Savannah River Environmental Sciences Field Station
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
- Hollings Marine Laboratory
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science
- University of Georgia Marine Institute - Sapelo Island
- Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve
- Gerace Research Center (formerly Bahamian Field Station) San Salvador Island
- Institute for Tropical Marine Ecology - Dominica, West Indies