For more than two decades, BIOS has hosted a variety of intensive and immersive summer courses for an international cohort of undergraduate and graduate students.

In early March, a group of 21 Road Scholars visited BIOS as part of a Bermuda-based learning adventure entitled Bermuda Unveiled: Historic Forts, Secret Gardens & More. Since 1975, not-for-profit Road Scholar, originally known as Elderhostel, has been giving older adults access to experiential learning opportunities around the globe.

Our educators have compiled a list of ocean-themed resources, from curriculum components to webinars and games, to help keep your kids’ minds active while they’re not in the classroom.

On May 28, 2020, a team of ocean educators from BIOS, the Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS), and the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) hosted the first episode of a virtual educational series called Ocean Diaries. The collaborative effort emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the cancellation of the annual BIOS Mid-Atlantic Robotics in Education (MARINE) robotics challenge, as well as other educational activities on the island.

For 20 days in July 2019, BIOS welcomed 18 students on campus to learn first-hand about the natural and anthropogenic factors in play to sustain life on Bermuda’s famed coral reefs. Course attendees travelled from Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, the U.K., and the U.S., to further their knowledge of the coral, fish, and algae that form reef ecosystems.

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.

Each summer, a handful of Bermudian students aged 18 and older are chosen to participate in the BIOS Bermuda Program. Since 1976, this program has been offering students the opportunity to learn about the marine and atmospheric sciences through hands-on internship experiences at the Institute. Bermuda Program interns work under the guidance of BIOS scientists on projects that take place in both field and laboratory settings, which offer unique insights into the process of conducting science, as well as the daily operations of an active research station.

As the COVID-19 crisis progresses, BIOS is following U.S. and Bermuda Government guidelines about social distancing, remote work and operations, international travel, and ship and dock restrictions to protect employees, visitors, and the Bermudian community.

Doctoral student Pinelopi Loizou of Cyprus spent twelve weeks this summer working at BIOS with mentor Mark Guishard, a meteorologist by training and project manager of the BIOS Risk Prediction Initiative (RPI), to investigate the topic of hurricane variability using Bermuda as a study site.

After a successful debut in the summer of 2018, BIOS again included the Ocean Science Camp in its lineup of summer education programs. The weeklong camp, held this year from July 8 to 12, is geared toward students aged 12-15 who are interested in the ocean, but have yet to participate in rigorous studies.