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.

This summer marks the third year that BIOS has offered its Modern Observational Oceanography (MOO) course to undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in oceanography programs. The course aims to provide students with a broad introduction to, and practical experience in, the field of observational oceanography—a rapidly developing area of study that focuses on using a variety of technologies and methods to further our understanding of how the physical state of the ocean is changing.

The crash and subsequent disappearance of a U.S. Air Force B-24 bomber nearly 74 years ago has been resolved with the discovery of wreckage in Bermuda by a team of scientists, students, and underwater robots.

Earlier this month, the 2014 University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) Chief Scientist Training Cruise wrapped up, with the R/V Atlantic Explorer returning to her berth at BIOS after a nine day cruise between Barbados and Bermuda. The purpose of these cruises is to give early-career marine scientists, including PhD students, insight into what it takes to successfully plan and execute a research cruise—everything from acquiring funded ship time to mobilizing laboratory equipment and supplies, from reporting at sea to living aboard a working research vessel.

Three days before Hurricane Gonzalo hit Bermuda in October, BIOS researchers launched their new glider Anna directly into the storm’s path for a rare look at hurricane dynamics below the sea surface.

This past month, sixty primary and middle school educators from the Bermuda Union of Teachers came to BIOS to participate in a professional development workshop focused on marine robotics.  The workshop involved PVC pipes, car batteries, foam noodles, propellers, and a race against time as participants were challenged to build their own Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for launch into the Sargasso Sea. Successful ROVs are neutrally buoyant and can be maneuvered through the water to complete tasks, mimicking the professional classes of underwater robotics used around the world to collect data for science and industry.

Come out for a fascinating evening to get inside the development and passage of Hurricane Gonzalo and its atmospheric effects on Bermuda. Get a deeper look at the impact of the storm on the surrounding ocean as seen by the BIOS glider system deployed in the path of the hurricane.

Tell us about the boats you’re developing at the moment. Julie: The Solar Xplorer is our solar-powered autonomous boat. Until now, no one has managed to use solar to adequately power an autonomous boat. The challenge is creating a seaworthy vessel that has enough deck space for a sufficiently-sized solar array. We’ve overcome this challenge by creating a self-righting multi-hull boat. The 24-foot (7.3 meter) prototype carries 1,200 watts with 12 solar panels, which can power sensors that measure wind speed and direction, wave height and period, and the temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity (or salinity) of the water.

Last month, twenty-one teams from nine schools—including a new team from Impact Mentoring Academy—met at the National Sports Centre for the 2019 Marine Advanced Technology in Education (MATE) Bermuda Regional Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Challenge.