Since 1987, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has funded a research internship for undergraduate students called the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The internships, which usually run for 10 to 12 weeks, are hosted at universities, research institutions, and professional scientific organizations and allow participants to work alongside faculty members and scientists on research projects in a wide range of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Researchers and students representing BIOS gathered in San Diego, California, in mid-February to participate in the biennial Ocean Sciences meeting. The flagship conference, held jointly by the Oceanography Society, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, and the American Geophysical Union, attracted nearly 5,000 scientists, managers, and educators from around the globe.

New research is shedding light on the impact of oxybenzone, a chemical filter found in many sunscreens, on Bermuda’s coral reefs. With funding from the Bermuda Government Department of Nature and Environmental Resources and NASA, a team of researchers at BIOS, led by senior scientist and coral reef ecologist Eric Hochberg, conducted a study to characterize the presence of oxybenzone, or benzophenone-3, in Bermuda’s nearshore waters, as well as the impacts on corals from long-term, low-dose exposure to the chemical.

In summer 2018, undergraduate student Moronke Harris came to BIOS from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada to pursue what had been a years-long ambition: oceanographic research. Through a Canadian Associates of BIOS (CABIOS) internship, she spent three months engaged in a geo-engineering project seeking potential solutions for coral reef bleaching.

BIOS assistant scientist Yvonne Sawall and research specialist Tim Noyes were chosen in early 2020 from among five applicants to receive funding from the Cawthorn Innovation Award for a project designed to advance understanding of the metabolic rates of corals and other reef organisms. The award was established in 2016 by trustee emeritus Rob Cawthorn to support innovative and challenging research ideas among scientists at BIOS.