The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), a unit of Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and School of Ocean Futures at Arizona State University, has announced funding support for deep-sea research and education training for Bermudians. The funding is led by a charitable grant from the Global Atlantic Re foundation, which is sponsored by Global Atlantic Financial Group (Global Atlantic), a leading insurance company meeting the retirement and life insurance needs of individuals and institutions.

As the shipwreck capital of the world, Bermuda is known for its treacherous reefs. But these unique corals may also offer clues to heightened resilience in the face of a changing climate. Working at the edge of science – and living at the edge of the ocean – experts study and protect these islands and reefs they call home.

A new collaboration between BIOS and the Overview Collective provided an exciting educational opportunity for Bermudian students called The Climate Classroom. With support from lead sponsor HSBC, over 200 students participated in this gamified immersive learning experience for M2 students across Bermuda from April 18th– May 2nd. The spokesperson said, “HSBC Bermuda is delighted to be the lead sponsor for this important education program on climate change and its impact on Bermuda’s marine life. We believe this learning experience will equip our students with the tools they need to make a positive impact on the environment and contribute to a sustainable future.”

A world-class ocean science research facility, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) inspires the next generation of marine biologists, oceanographers, marine ecologists and more by providing K-12 and college students a captivating introduction to the science of the ocean. BIOS is now expanding its impact, joining Arizona State University as part of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory™. BIOS brings over 120 years of research and education on Earth’s largest biome to the world’s first laboratory dedicated to reshaping our relationship with our planet.

Humans continue to amplify global warming by emitting billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year. A new study reveals that a distant human relative plays an outsize role in damping the impacts of this greenhouse gas by pumping large amounts of carbon from the ocean surface to the deep sea, where it contributes nothing to current warming.

On February 16, 2023, BIOS published the second half of a two-part report on the local impacts of climate change in Bermuda. The new report, titled “Climate Change and Bermuda, Part II: Impacts and Societal Risk” was produced by the Bermuda Airport Authority’s Dr. Mark Guishard, a BIOS adjunct scientist and former Director of the Bermuda Weather Service, with the support of lead donor HSBC Bermuda.

Living at the edge of darkness, the community of microbes and tiny animals in the ocean’s twilight zone upcycle nutrients to ensure their survival. A study led by researchers at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa revealed that small, free-floating animals called zooplankton rely mainly on an even smaller class of organisms, called microzooplankton, to consolidate the sparse waste products in the water and transform it into higher-quality food. The study was published in Limnology and Oceanography.

New research published in Nature has revealed the importance of mineral forms of iron in regulating the cycling of this bio-essential nutrient in the ocean.

A new school dedicated to the study of the ocean and its ecosystems, and it is based in the desert?

BIOS has undertaken a project to report on the science and impacts of climate change, with a specific focus on Bermuda. This effort is supported by HSBC, and is being led by Dr. Mark Guishard, adjunct faculty at BIOS and Director of the Bermuda Weather Service (BWS), a section of the Bermuda Airport Authority.