Since 2005, BIOS’s Ocean Academy and Raleigh Bermuda have partnered in the support and development of young Bermudians in their six-day Outdoor Survival Camp as trainees prepare for volunteer work in Tanzania, Borneo, Costa Rica and other countries. In early April, 28 young Bermudians and their adult mentors, ranging in age from 17 to 27, participated in an environmental project on the island that exposes trainees to some of the rigors of working abroad.

Last week, seven enthusiastic Clearwater Middle School students and two proud teachers got an experience of a lifetime when they headed to North Rock with BIOS to snorkel and operate their winning Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in the ocean.

“I call them the Female Dream Team,” said BIOS educator Kaitlin Baird The Bermuda Program, designed for high school and college students, began in 1976 as a way to encourage students to consider careers in marine, atmospheric, and oceanographic sciences. It is part of BIOS’s Ocean Academy, a suite of hands-on programs offered for 10-to 21-year-old Bermudians that centers on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) topics. Last year, 1,390 local students and teachers were involved in Ocean Academy programs

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.

See more pictures in the Ocean Academy Facebook photo album.

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.

A new BIOS summer program offered local students aged 12 to 15 an introduction to Bermuda’s marine environment and provided a strong foundation in scientific research, both in the laboratory and the field. Institute education staff developed the Ocean Science Camp to appeal to students who are interested in oceanography but lack previous marine science experience. KPMG and Bermuda Skyport Corporation Ltd. provided bursaries for this year’s camp.

A novel partnership between BIOS’s Ocean Academy and the University of Delaware (UDel) this winter gave dozens of local teachers and students the opportunity to learn about marine robotics and how they are used to explore the oceans.

Like to snorkel? Interested in supporting emerging marine engineers? Volunteers from BIOS and the Bermuda community are needed to assist on Saturday, April 27 from 8:00a.m. to 3:00p.m., as more than 30 teams of school students test their mission-tasked Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) during the annual island-wide robotics challenge.