Researchers and students representing BIOS gathered in San Diego, California, in mid-February to participate in the biennial Ocean Sciences meeting. The flagship conference, held jointly by the Oceanography Society, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and the American Geophysical Union, attracted nearly 5,000 scientists, managers, and educators from around the globe.

New research is shedding light on the impact of oxybenzone, a chemical filter found in many sunscreens, on Bermuda’s coral reefs. With funding from the Bermuda Government Department of Nature and Environmental Resources and NASA, a team of researchers at BIOS, led by senior scientist and coral reef ecologist Eric Hochberg, conducted a study to characterize the presence of oxybenzone, or benzophenone-3, in Bermuda’s nearshore waters, as well as the impacts on corals from long-term, low-dose exposure to the chemical.

For many jobs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, hands-on experience in research is a valuable asset, if not a requirement. This presents a unique challenge to undergraduate students who often lack the time, networking resources, and track record to obtain even entry-level positions that would provide such experience. Since 1987 the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been supporting thousands of undergraduate researchers each year through its Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program.