On any given day, you’re likely to see Kyla Smith down at the BIOS waterfront corralling students onto a boat for a trip to Nonsuch Island; preparing materials for a lecture and subsequent lab on marine plankton; or leading a tour of the BIOS labs and research facilities.  Smith, 30, is using her experiences and expertise—which includes certification as a SCUBA instructor—in a role she never imagined: marine science educator. As an Ocean Academy program assistant, she is an integral part of the education team at BIOS who is responsible for teaching school students about the importance of the ocean and their role in marine exploration and conservation.

The BIOS Bermuda Program was conceived in 1976 as an effort to increase interest among young Bermudians in careers in the marine sciences. The design of the program today remains largely the same, providing a handful of promising students, ages 18 and older, with stipends to work alongside BIOS scientists each summer on research projects in marine and atmospheric sciences.

The gender disparity within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programs and the college-educated workforce is an issue that has faced colleges, universities, funding agencies, and employers for decades.

Forty public school teachers took part in two-day training at BIOS in late October as part of the 2017 Bermuda Union of Teachers annual professional development conference. The workshop, offered under the Mid-Atlantic Robotics IN Education (MARINE) program, introduced participants to components of the beginner Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) competition, including the construction of simple circuits and soldering.

A group of BIOS researchers and educators had the opportunity to share their marine science knowledge and experience with nearly 10,000 young people around the world this fall, all without ever stepping foot off Bermuda.

Outside many homes on Bermuda, curious-looking bottles hang from porches. These are shark oil barometers, homemade devices that for nearly 300 years have been used by islanders who swear that the oil can predict the severity of approaching storms and hurricanes.

Like to snorkel? Interested in supporting emerging marine engineers? Volunteers from BIOS and the Bermuda community are needed to assist on Saturday, April 30th as 33 teams of middle school students test their mission-tasked Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) during an island-wide robotics challenge.

Bermudian Tiana Outerbridge first learned about marine plastics washing up on coastal shores and harming marine life from a Netflix documentary, which she said left her “totally dismayed” and feeling like “we must make a better effort of taking care of the earth.” She found that opportunity this month, when BIOS educators offered local residents a chance to pitch in and learn more about ocean microplastics, pulverized plastic pieces smaller than cupcake sprinkles. As a pollutant, these accumulated bits can harm aquatic life and, potentially, human health.

Since its beginning in 1903 as a field station for students and scientists at Harvard University and New York University, BIOS has hosted hundreds of students from colleges and universities around the world. Over the years, students conducting research at BIOS have used their experiences as springboards for acceptance into graduate degree programs, a variety of technical and research positions (both at BIOS and abroad), and—frequently—a scientific publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Last month a group of 39 P6 (primary school level 6, or grade 5 in the U.S. school system) students from Harrington Sound Primary School spent three days and two nights at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), where they learned about the local marine environment and potential career paths in ocean science research, technology, and education.