The Moorea 2013 class is a University of California, Berkeley field course entitled Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands. Based at the Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, the course involves students conducting independent research projects across a variety of marine and terrestrial habitats. Student research spans diverse subjects such as the effects of ocean acidification on marine shrimp and nudibranchs, the feeding preferences of stream invertebrates, honey bee visitation habits, and the antimicrobial properties of plants used in traditional Tahitian medicine. Additional projects investigate parasite-host relationships in geckos and fiddler crabs, ecological succession in epiphytic communities and burned forests, and the role of cryptic coloration in giant clams and skinks. Throughout the term, students are trained in experimental design, rigorous field data collection, and statistical analysis using R software. These research efforts are supported by a team of professors and graduate student instructors who mentor the students from initial fieldwork through the completion of their final scientific papers.