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Alina Barreto’s fall semester didn’t take place in traditional classrooms or lecture halls. Instead, she spent it tracking dolphins by boat, caring for injured sea turtles, and diving beneath the Adriatic Sea to assist with underwater cleanups.

Barreto, an Earth & Environmental Science major at Lehigh University with a marine focus, spent three months last fall studying abroad on a small island in the Adriatic Sea off Croatia. She studied Croatian language and culture, dolphin ecology, sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation, conservation ecology, and more.

“We would go out on the boat, and we were really lucky because we saw dolphins every time,” Barreto said. “We’d take pictures of them to then be able to count the group size and estimate the age. It was amazing.”

Barreto lived in a research center with about two dozen students from across the United States, participating in a field-based, research-focused program through the School for Field Studies. SFS is one of the nation’s largest providers of environmental education abroad, and one of several semester-long study abroad partners with which Lehigh regularly collaborates.

Lehigh’s Study Abroad office worked closely with Barreto to identify a program that aligned with both her academic goals and her interest in marine conservation. After exploring several options, she and her advisor Brian Wasserman determined that SFS in Croatia offered the right combination of coursework and hands-on experience.

“She was looking for a field-based program that offered hands-on experiences, (and) SFS Croatia was the best fit for her goals,” Wasserman said. “I always encourage students to look for an ‘X factor,’ something unique and valuable they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do. For Alina, SFS Croatia fit the bill for both her academic needs and the ‘X factor.’”

Barreto’s coursework extended far beyond the classroom, with much of her time spent on the water collecting data on marine life. At least once a week, she and her classmates boarded small boats to observe dolphins in the Adriatic, often spending hours at sea collecting data.

Using photo identification techniques, Barreto and her classmates documented individual dolphins by the unique markings on their dorsal fins, contributing to a long-term research catalog. Her own research project focused on analyzing dolphin abundance, survivability, and seasonal patterns using several years of existing data.

In addition to her work with dolphins, Barreto also spent time volunteering at a nearby sea turtle rescue center. She assisted with feeding and weighing turtles, administering basic care, and supporting rehabilitation efforts for animals injured by boat propellers and other environmental hazards.

“We would weigh them, feed them, and give them IVs,” she said. “Some of them needed treatment because their shells were broken from boat propellers, but they recovered pretty well. We released two of them and attached a tag so we could track them once they were released.”

The program also introduced Barreto to a variety of hands-on conservation tools and experiences. She learned how to operate drones for marine observation, participated in underwater cleanups during scuba dives, and engaged with local communities to better understand the environmental and economic role of fishing in the region.

She added that the immersive setting also allowed her to build close relationships with her professors, often sharing daily meals and extended time in the field.

Barreto hopes to one day work in marine conservation, ideally in her home of Puerto Rico. She is exploring opportunities in coral reef conservation, environmental nonprofits, and education, while also considering landscape architecture as a blend of environmental science and art, she said.

“Studying in Croatia has been one of the top experiences I’ve had at Lehigh so far,” she said. “If it weren’t for the support I received from Lehigh, it never would have happened.”