Have you ever wondered how scientists can tell how old a fish is? Or what a fish’s body and tail shape can tell you about how it swims and where it lives? For many people, fish are simply what’s on the menu, but at the 2014 HSBC Explorer Program, BIOS education staff gave students and teachers the opportunity to learn about fish from nose to tail, and from the inside out.

Each year, around this time, high school students are faced with the often-daunting task of deciding what to do in the upcoming summer months. Volunteer? Study abroad? Work? Intern? While the final decision rests upon many factors, Bermudian students interested in pursuing careers in the ocean or atmospheric sciences have to look no further than the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). Each summer, as part of its Ocean Academy, BIOS runs two programs for high school students that provide unique opportunities to learn and work at the research station.

Since 2015, the Mid-Atlantic Robotics IN Education (MARINE) program has been a core component of BIOS’s Ocean Academy, which offers a suite of hands-on education and research opportunities for students and teachers in Bermuda. BIOS is pleased to announce that MARINE has a new lead sponsor in RenaissanceRe, which has generously funded the program for the next two years, supporting the program’s goals of engaging participants in scientific concepts and enhancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the classroom.

A Bermuda-tested camera that is so small and lightweight that it can rest on top of a credit card, yet is robust enough to withstand pressure from tons of ocean water while capturing video and photos at depths up to 18,044 feet (5,500 meters), has made the cover of the monthly marine sciences journal Deep Sea Oceanography, Part I.

Our educators have compiled a list of ocean-themed resources, from curriculum components to webinars and games, to help keep your kids’ minds active while they’re not in the classroom.

On May 28, 2020, a team of ocean educators from BIOS, the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS), and the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) hosted the first episode of a virtual educational series called Ocean Diaries. The collaborative effort emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the annual BIOS Mid-Atlantic Robotics in Education (MARINE) robotics challenge, as well as other educational activities on the island.

Each summer, a handful of Bermudian students aged 18 and older are chosen to participate in the BIOS Bermuda Program. Since 1976, this program has been offering students the opportunity to learn about the marine and atmospheric sciences through hands-on internship experiences at the Institute. Bermuda Program interns work under the guidance of BIOS scientists on projects that take place in both field and laboratory settings, which offer unique insights into the process of conducting science, as well as the daily operations of an active research station.

As the COVID-19 crisis progresses, BIOS is following U.S. and Bermuda Government guidelines about social distancing, remote work and operations, international travel, and ship and dock restrictions to protect employees, visitors, and the Bermudian community.

After a successful debut in the summer of 2018, BIOS again included the Ocean Science Camp in its lineup of summer education programs. The weeklong camp, held this year from July 8 to 12, is geared toward students aged 12-15 who are interested in the ocean, but have yet to participate in rigorous studies.

Since its construction in 1977, the Scott Lab has served as a facility for ocean science teaching and learning for hundreds of students of all ages, from primary through graduate school. The 700-square-foot lab, named after George T. Scott, president of the then-Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) from 1967 through 1969, is located near the Institute’s waterfront, offering convenient access to research vessels and the waters of Ferry Reach.