Since 2006 Bermuda Sloop Foundation has been providing Bermuda’s youth with experiential learning and character development aboard their unique floating classroom: Sail Training Vessel (STV) Spirit of Bermuda. In that time, more than 3,000 students have stood upon the vessel’s deck, learning critical life skills including communication, teamwork, nutrition, and respect.
On April 24, 2014, BIOS faculty, staff, and supporters gathered in the Tradewinds Auditorium at BUEI to highlight a quarter century of science carried out through the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS), and to celebrate the numerous individuals who have contributed to the growth and longevity of the oceanographic time-series.
When most people think about sea anemones they usually think of clownfish as well—the small orange, black, and white fish that make their homes within the sea anemones’ tentacles. Anemones and clownfish have a symbiotic relationship known as “mutualism,” in which each species benefits the other. Able to withstand an anemone’s stinging tentacles, the clownfish use the anemones for protection from predators. In return, the clownfish clean the anemones of parasites, provide a source of nitrogen for growth and regeneration, and even help circulate the water around the anemones. While this is one of the most recognizable forms of mutualism in the ocean, sea anemones also have symbiotic relationships with a variety of crustaceans.
For the past nine years, a group of students from Princeton University has traveled to Bermuda each June to participate in a four-week marine biology course offered through a unique partnership between BIOS and the university. Co-taught by Dr. Samantha de Putron (Associate Scientist at BIOS and Visiting Lecturer at Princeton) and Dr. James Gould (Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton), the course is an intensive field program that covers all aspects of marine biology. Dr. Carol Gould (science writer) adds a unique perspective as a guest lecturer and—this year—Dr. Penelope Barnes (BIOS Education Director for University Programs) and Kaitlin Baird (BIOS Science Education Officer) also contributed as guest lecturers.
Earlier this month, the 2014 University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) Chief Scientist Training Cruise wrapped up, with the R/V Atlantic Explorer returning to her berth at BIOS after a nine day cruise between Barbados and Bermuda. The purpose of these cruises is to give early-career marine scientists, including PhD students, insight into what it takes to successfully plan and execute a research cruise—everything from acquiring funded ship time to mobilizing laboratory equipment and supplies, from reporting at sea to living aboard a working research vessel.
Three days before Hurricane Gonzalo hit Bermuda in October, BIOS researchers launched their new glider Anna directly into the storm’s path for a rare look at hurricane dynamics below the sea surface.
This past month, sixty primary and middle school educators from the Bermuda Union of Teachers came to BIOS to participate in a professional development workshop focused on marine robotics. The workshop involved PVC pipes, car batteries, foam noodles, propellers, and a race against time as participants were challenged to build their own Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for launch into the Sargasso Sea. Successful ROVs are neutrally buoyant and can be maneuvered through the water to complete tasks, mimicking the professional classes of underwater robotics used around the world to collect data for science and industry.
After weathering more than two decades worth of tropical storms and hurricanes, BIOS’s Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory was dealt a serious blow by Hurricane Gonzalo in October. The Category 2 hurricane’s direct path over Bermuda led to the collapse of the 23 meter tall aluminum walk-up tower. Luckily, standard storm protocols successfully protected the instruments that sample aerosols and meteorological data for the observatory’s long-term datasets.
What do golden rafts of seaweed, great ocean currents, and ghost stories have in common? They all play a part in the history and ecology of the Sargasso Sea, the focus of the 2012 Explorer program at BIOS that introduced 1300 primary students to hands-on marine biology, chemistry, and physics. With the recent publication of an “Expedition Sargasso” lesson plan by Kaitlin Baird, Assistant Director of Science Education Programs at BIOS, many more students will be able to discover the unique communities that thrive in Sargassum seaweed and explore the interconnectedness of ocean ecosystems.
The BIOS education team proudly accepted the TechAwards14 “Most Innovative Youth Project” for Ocean Academy’s HSBC Explorer program. The team sincerely thanks the Ministry of Education and Economic Development, and the sponsors of Ocean Academy.