When scientists study coral reefs, they are often interested in figuring out key components of reef health; specifically, primary production—or photosynthesis—and calcification, the rate at which new reef growth occurs. For decades this has meant time and labor-intensive fieldwork, with scientists documenting global reef condition and linking what they see underwater with lab-based experiments and measurements.

St. George’s, Bermuda –– An anonymous donor has awarded BIOS $6 million to support collaborative research on the distinctive microbial communities of the Sargasso Sea over the next five years. The research will leverage ocean measurements and ongoing research at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site, bringing new collaborations and technologies to study the ocean’s smallest life forms.

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.

New grants from the National Science Foundation will extend and improve two long-term climate observation programs led by BIOS scientists.

The Bermuda Government is currently holding a public consultation regarding the creation of a marine reserve to protect the waters surrounding Bermuda. The reserve being considered would encompass a portion of Bermuda’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends out 200 nautical miles from the island. If designated as such, these waters would be the equivalent of a national park and activities such as offshore fishing and seabed mining would be strictly prohibited. Bermuda has a long history of managing its marine resources and this measure would extend full protection to the area, including a significant portion of the Sargasso Sea’s unique ecosystem. As residents of Bermuda comment on the proposed establishment of a “no take” marine reserve in the waters around Bermuda, BIOS is weighing in on the conversation with a position statement of its own:

It is often said that good things come in groups of three, and that might be the case for a trio of research projects aimed at reducing a recent, but growing, threat to Bermuda’s marine biodiversity: the invasive lionfish.

In balmy Bermuda, it is hard to imagine anything other than fresh air and sea breezes entering people’s lungs.  But over the last two decades, scientists working with the Department of Environmental Protection have discovered there are some places in Bermuda where the air people breathe is similar to the polluted air of a big city.

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.

After weathering more than two decades worth of tropical storms and hurricanes, BIOS’s Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory was dealt a serious blow by Hurricane Gonzalo in October.  The Category 2 hurricane’s direct path over Bermuda led to the collapse of the 23 meter tall aluminum walk-up tower. Luckily, standard storm protocols successfully protected the instruments that sample aerosols and meteorological data for the observatory’s long-term datasets.

Dr. Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley has been studying the legendary corals around Bermuda for more than a decade. As she dove to collect small coral samples for genetics studies during her doctoral research, she saw not only the island’s underwater beauty, but also the explosive growth of a foreign invader on the reefs — the lionfish.