Marine science isn’t a prerequisite for medical school, but last month 13 pre-medical and health students from Furman University traveled to BIOS to spend three weeks delving into marine science for human good. They were participating in the second offering of BIOS’s interdisciplinary Oceans and Human Health course, which is co-taught by two Furman biology professors and four BIOS scientists. Through lectures, field trips, and hands-on research projects, the course covers how human health benefits from marine life, as well as the potential threats facing humans and marine organisms, and risk management and policy implications.

Follow us @biosstation and tag us so that we can share your ocean photos with the BIOS community on Instagram. 

In May, Deirdre Collins was named the recipient of the prestigious Bermuda Rhodes Scholarship award. Collins will use the scholarship in September to pursue a graduate degree in environmental change and management at the University of Oxford, located in England.

There’s no denying that a lionfish, beautifully striped yet as pesky as a rat, is intriguing to see up close. For a group of 12- and 13-year old Bermudians, who dissected and even tasted the fish during a Spirit of Bermuda voyage, it was a highlight of their four-day journey.

This spring, BIOS microbial oceanographer Rachel Parsons and Education Director, University Programs, Penny Barnes, received some good news from the National Science Foundation: their Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) proposal, “Fall Semester Student Research in Oceanography and Marine Science at BIOS,” was awarded funding for three more consecutive years.  This enables eight undergraduates to spend twelve weeks at BIOS each year, with mentorship from a BIOS scientist as they conduct an independent research project. Students hoping to come to BIOS this fall for a fully supported research opportunity (including travel, stipend, room and board) must apply by May 31, 2015.

See more pictures in the Ocean Academy Facebook photo album.

Within the contours of oceanographic data are the stories of great ocean currents, tiny plankton, and life-sustaining nutrients at the surface of the sea.  University students learn to study ocean properties through plots and graphs of these data, but rarely do they get hands-on experience with the instruments that generated them. A new BIOS summer course aims to change that by introducing students to the methods and technologies that have become the bread and butter of modern oceanography.

This Saturday, come cheer on the students competing in the 2015 ROV Angelfish Challenge! Mid-Atlantic Robotics in Education at BIOS. Each team will be piloting their own ROV through a series of underwater challenges at the National Sports Centre. The event opens to the public at 9am – hope to see you there!

Students put their technical skills to the test yesterday as part of an island-wide competition to design the best underwater robot.

This summer BIOS is offering two unique courses focused on coral reef ecology, and both provide exceptional opportunities for university students to gain hands-on experience with modern research methods. Bermuda’s coral reefs provide spectacular underwater classrooms for SCUBA-certified students to experiment and study as they become the next generation of coral reef scientists and stewards.