Those who have lived in Bermuda or spent time around the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), participate in the annual Groundswell Lionfish Tournament, or remember the Blue Halo initiative, have likely heard of Chris Flook. Known alternately as “Flookie,” “the godfather of the Bermuda lionfish movement,” or “that guy with the ponytail and sunglasses,” Flook was born and raised in Bermuda and has spent his life working to bring Bermuda’s marine environment to the forefront of public discourse and political awareness.

Elevated ocean temperatures have threatened coral reefs around the world for over a year, but this October marked a tipping point.  NOAA scientists declared the onset of a global coral reef bleaching event impacting coral reefs in every ocean basin, and projected the bleaching will only intensify in 2016. This is the third such global bleaching event in history.

NASA’s Earth Venture Suborbital-2 Program has awarded BIOS scientist Dr. Eric Hochberg a grant to initiate the COral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL). The three-year project will use an instrument mounted within the belly of an airplane to survey reefs around the world.  By using airborne data to calculate the amount of coral present on a reef, and to assess the processes underpinning coral reef growth or decline, CORAL provides a new and unprecedented perspective on coral reef ecosystems.

Student Hannah Reich spent the summer at BIOS conducting coral reef fieldwork for her master’s thesis with mentor Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley, assistant scientist at BIOS. Professor Todd Livdahl, who travels to Bermuda every other year with a team of students studying at BIOS, also investigates mosquito species and to observes the island’s efforts to control them.

“We hope it will be fully operational in the next couple of months,” said BIOS scientist Andrew Peters. This month he is installing the power cable, air sampling pumps and lines, filter housings, and meteorological sensors.

Bermudians know that invasive lionfish like to eat their native fish, and that they gobble them in huge numbers. What they don’t know yet is the full range of the lionfish invasion, though increasing evidence shows that lionfish aren’t afraid to go deep for their meals.

BIOS scientist and CORAL principle investigator Eric Hochberg explains the CORAL mission in a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) news release. Read on to learn more:

On Friday, January 15th, 110 students, parents and teachers convened at BIOS to place a call to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, as part of the 2016 MARINE program. Engineer and explorer Bob Zook was on the other end of the line to share how his work with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) helps scientists to explore greater depths and remote regions of the world, like the dynamic Antarctic ecosystems hidden beneath thick sea ice.

The Argo Group is a longtime supporter of BIOS and Ocean Academy. As the Title Sponsor of the 70th Bermuda Gold Cup and 2020 Open Match Racing Worlds, the Argo Group has named BIOS as a beneficiary of their support for the world class sailing events being held this week in Bermuda. We are grateful for their support and excited to be working with them to raise awareness of BIOS’s research and education programs.

BIOS research initiatives and education programs were the topic of a recent episode of “Ocean Hour,” the online education series produced by the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI). The third episode of the program, which aired on the organization’s Facebook page on October 9, featured an interview with Lakshmi Magon, a 2018 BIOS Bermuda Program intern and a 2020 BIOS Ocean Academy intern.