The Moorea Class of 2004 was a semester-long undergraduate course from the University of California, Berkeley, officially known as Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands. The class consisted of twenty students who traveled to the island of Moorea in French Polynesia to conduct original research projects. Based at the Richard B. Gump South Pacific Biological Research Station, the students spent nine weeks in the field after three weeks of preparation in Berkeley. Research topics were diverse, encompassing terrestrial and marine biology, botany, and geomorphology. The program was designed as a research expedition, involving planning, field reconnaissance, and the design and implementation of individual scientific studies. Upon returning to Berkeley, the students presented their results at a public research symposium and produced written papers. These papers were compiled and published in Volume 13 of the Moorea Student Papers series. The course was led by a team of faculty members and Graduate Student Instructors with expertise in various scientific disciplines.