In early August, BIOS welcomed two new members to its Ship Operations Department—Ella Cedarholm and Lydia Sgouros—both marine technicians aboard the Institute’s 170-foot (52 meter) research vessel (R/V) Atlantic Explorer.

For five weeks spanning October and early November, Brett Jameson, a doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, is working with BIOS biogeochemical oceanographer Damian Grundle on a project investigating the microbial production of nitrous oxide (N2O) in low oxygen marine environments.

The Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme (BOPP) believes the ocean is an important component in Bermuda’s recovery from the pandemic and it offers an abundance of opportunities to grow a healthy economy that benefits all. BOPP is working to create a comprehensive plan to sustainably use, manage, and protect the ocean, a plan which will help the economy and ensure healthy fisheries and marine ecosystems for future generations. But we can’t do it without your help.

Summer internships for college-aged students were among the educational experiences that were hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. As college campuses around the world shut down, students missed out on opportunities to gain skills in non-classroom settings, network with professionals and mentors, and explore potential career fields.

Although fall semester courses at BIOS had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute’s University Programs department worked diligently over the summer months to ensure the annual Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), could still take place.

Earlier this year, BIOS senior scientist and coral reef ecologist Eric Hochberg published a paper in the journal Coral Reefs that put numbers to a widely accepted concept in reef science: that materials in seawater (such as phytoplankton, organic matter, or suspended sediment) can affect how much light, as well as the wavelength of light, reaches the seafloor. This, in turn, impacts the ecology of organisms, including corals and algae, that live on the seafloor and rely on that light for photosynthesis.

This September, BIOS is debuting a new citizen science program designed to encourage Bermuda’s residents and visitors to engage with the natural environment by collecting data from around the island. By utilizing an array of online tools and apps, and working alongside BIOS educators, people have the opportunity to directly contribute to ongoing research at BIOS and local conservation efforts.

Priel Minors, 16, a senior school student at Cedarbridge Academy, was chosen by educators at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) and ConnecTech, to participate in a weeklong “BioCoding at Home” course offered virtually by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s DNA Learning Center. BIOS’s Ocean Academy provided a scholarship to cover the cost of the course while ConnecTech provided work space and coding support.

In July, BIOS collaborated with the Bermuda National Library (BNL) to produce a virtual reading session for the Youth Library’s summer reading program. This program, designed to encourage school-aged children to continue using their literacy skills during the summer months, runs from late June through late August and consists of a variety activities and workshops that young readers can participate in to earn points for prizes.

Among the many lessons we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the value of having a highly skilled scientific workforce that is capable of leveraging its education to serve the broader community during a time of need.