Spending a Short Semester Studying Abroad

January 25, 2023

Paul Gensbigler, 20, is no stranger to the water, having spent the past two years studying the health of the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. A junior majoring in molecular and cellular biology at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Maryland, Gensbigler is researching the microbes that help control nutrient levels in the Bay. However, this January he traded the brackish waters of the northern Chesapeake for the salty waters of the northern Atlantic in a “Hopkins Intersession Abroad” program.


Discovery of a New Calcifying Phytoplankton Species off Bermuda

October 25, 2023

A newly described coccolithophore species, Calciopappus curvus was recently found in 2020 in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda by scientists affiliated with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, a unit of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU BIOS). This newly named species has also been observed prior to its discovery off Bermuda in water samples from far-flung locations as the North Atlantic to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean.


Studying Microbial Metabolisms to Better Understand the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle

January 30, 2023

Research conducted as part of the multi-year, multi-institutional BIOS-SCOPE (Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences – Simons Collaboration on Ocean Processes and Ecology) project is shedding light on how the end products of cellular metabolism, called metabolites, could be used to track future changes in the marine environment.


BIOS’s Marine MacGyver

November 25, 2022

Each year, the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), which coordinates and serves the U.S. Academic Research Fleet—including the BIOS-operated research vessel Atlantic Explorer—holds a meeting for all of the ships’ technical support groups. The RVTEC (Research Vessel Technical Enhancement Committee) meetings provide a forum for discussions about best practices and “foster activities that enhance technical support for sea-going scientific programs.”


BIOS’s Ocean Academy Opens Doors of Opportunity

November 30, 2022

Through the generous support of a philanthropic sponsor, two BIOS Bermuda Program alumni are continuing to develop valuable scientific laboratory techniques and research skills outside of the Institute’s annual summer internship program. Jihad Muhammad, 22, and Marcus Rewan, 21, are working as part-time research interns through the BIOS Curriculum Enrichment Program.


ASU Announces New School of Ocean Futures

October 01, 2022

A new school dedicated to the study of the ocean and its ecosystems, and it is based in the desert?


Students Experience the Force

April 13, 2022

When foam cups are lowered in a mesh bag deep into the ocean, will they dissolve? Just get wet? Or maybe a shark will eat them? These were the initial predictions made by 7- and 8-year-old students at St. George’s Preparatory school this month as they completed a new, two-part lesson offered by the BIOS Curriculum Enrichment Program on “Force: The Science of Ocean Pressure.”


A Career of Submarines, Yachts, and Research Vessels

March 20, 2022

Since late 2019, Kent Larsen has served as the oceanographic technical services manager for the BIOS-operated research vessel Atlantic Explorer. It’s a vital role, as modern oceanographic research ships have huge electrical and electronic requirements with complex technology to support their communications systems. His responsibilities include maintaining the audio-visual, electronic, and technical systems on board the ship, from satellite communications and navigational systems to the bridge (the ship’s command center) to emergency and surveillance systems.


A New Marine Superintendent at the Helm

May 08, 2016

This spring, Quentin Lewis, a long time captain for the BIOS-operated research vessel Atlantic Explorer, joined the staff as the Institute’s marine superintendent. Lewis, who is 54 and hails from North Carolina, replaced Ron Harelstad in the position. Lewis is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marines Academy, spent over a decade as the marine superintendent for Duke University, and ran a small business delivering vessels on the East and Gulf coasts. Lewis’ wife, Lisa, is a regional business manager for a group of radio stations in North Carolina. They have an 11-year-old daughter, Samantha. Here Lewis details his involvement with BIOS, his family’s maritime history, and the projects he’s involved with as he begins full time employment with the Institute.


A Nose for Nitrogen

June 08, 2016

Damian Grundle, on board the research vessel Atlantic Explorer, recently joined the BIOS faculty.


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