Bermuda's Role in Ocean Discovery

As Bermuda marks World Ocean Day this June, the island is once again serving as a global hub for ocean discovery. Multiple research vessels, including the ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences' R/V Atlantic Explorer and the renowned R/V Atlantis, are operating in Bermudian waters this month, supporting international efforts to better understand climate change, ocean health and the deep sea. 

The activity highlights Bermuda's unique role in global ocean science and its importance as a gateway to the deep Atlantic Ocean, where researchers are advancing technologies and collecting data that help scientists understand our changing planet. 

Many of these efforts are supported through U.S. federal research investments, including National Science Foundation-funded programs, long-term ocean observing systems, and international scientific partnerships that rely on Bermuda's unique location in the North Atlantic. 

Bermuda's proximity to deep ocean waters makes it one of the world's most important locations for marine research. Within just a few hours of leaving shore, scientists can access waters several kilometers deep, creating an exceptional natural laboratory for testing technologies, conducting experiments and collecting long-term ocean observations. 

At the center of this work is the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (ASU BIOS), a unit of Arizona State University’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory. For decades, the institute has supported world-class research by maintaining long-term ocean monitoring programs, operating research vessels and facilitating international scientific collaboration. 

One of the institute's most important assets is R/V Atlantic Explorer, a 171-foot floating laboratory that supports approximately 200 days of scientific operations annually. As part of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, the vessel enables biological, chemical and physical oceanographic research throughout the Sargasso Sea and wider Atlantic.  

R/V Atlantic Explorer is currently returning to Bermuda following a research expedition to Cape Verde and is expected to arrive on June 11. 

“Our collaborative project is examining how iron and organic carbon interact in the ocean and how those interactions may be influenced by changing oxygen conditions,” said Kristen Buck, Professor in the College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University and one of the project leads. 

“By combining long-term observations from Bermuda with new measurements and experiments conducted near Cape Verde, we are working to better understand how carbon and nutrients are transported to the deep ocean and how these processes may respond to future environmental change.” 

Ben Twining, Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and one of the scientific leads of the project, said the expedition is helping scientists better understand ocean productivity in a changing climate. 

“R/V Atlantic Explorer has provided an ideal platform from which to study the dynamic chemistry of iron in the Atlantic Ocean,” he said. “This work will help improve predictions of ocean productivity in the future.” 

Research conducted from Bermuda contributes directly to international efforts to understand ocean warming, carbon storage, ecosystem resilience and the impacts of climate change. The island's long-term monitoring programs have created some of the world's most valuable records of environmental change in the open ocean. 

Research vessel activity in the region provides continuous access to open-ocean conditions that are otherwise difficult and costly to observe. 

 

Bermuda also serves as a critical testing ground for emerging ocean technologies. Scientists and engineers regularly use the region to deploy autonomous underwater vehicles, test ocean sensors and evaluate real-time ocean observing systems in deep-water conditions.  

Another notable visitor arriving in Bermuda this month is R/V Atlantis, one of the most recognized research vessels in the world. Owned by the U.S. Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, R/V Atlantis is best known as the support ship for the human-occupied submersible Alvin. On June 11, St. George residents may see the iconic vessel R/V Atlantis arrive.   

Atlantis and Alvin have long made use of Bermuda’s proximity to deep water in order to conduct engineering tests, particularly after the sub’s regular, Navy-mandated overhauls. These coordinated operations support a sustained and highly integrated ocean observing network.  

This year, in addition to re-certifying Alvin, the shipboard team of engineers and ship’s crew will also test a new autonomous underwater vehicle known as DeepVenture as a potential companion vehicle to scout seafloor locations prior to submersible dives.  

“Bermuda was the site of the first-ever tests of an autonomous underwater vehicle with Alvin back in 2006,” said Anna Michel, Chief Scientist of the National Deep Submergence Facility at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.  

“DeepVenture marks a new milestone in this sort of paired technology,” she said “The compact, modular vehicle will help maximize the efficiency of dive time by Alvin, which is at a maximum depth of 6,500 meters (approximately four miles). Throughout the progression of that technology, Bermuda has served as the base for us to expand humanity’s reach into the deep ocean.” 

The continued presence of research vessels, scientists and engineers in Bermudian waters underscores the island's enduring importance to global ocean science. 

As the world celebrates World Ocean Day and reflects on the importance of understanding and protecting our ocean, Bermuda remains uniquely positioned to support the discoveries, technologies and international partnerships that will shape the future of ocean exploration and environmental stewardship.