The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) has trained and mentored 24 undergraduate REU students from the US during the award period, 2009 to 2011.  Seven males and seventeen females including two minorty students took part in the BIOS REU Program.  Students were from twenty one different US universities located in 17 States.  During this award period, BIOS continued its long-term tradition of providing hands-on research experiences for undergraduates.  Students conducted independent research projects based on a variety of marine and open-ocean science topics ranging from small scale (e.g., molecular/subcellular) to the ecosystem as a whole.  Many of the research projects fell within the framework of the numerous long-term deep ocean programs conducted at BIOS including Hydrostation “S”, the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS), the Microbial Observatory, the Ocean Flux Program (OFP), and the Ocean Carbon and Climate Change Program.  Students also had opportunities to focus on near-shore processes (e.g., water and air pollution, coral reef ecology, marine biodiversity), topics within the Oceans and Human Health Program (e.g., cancer and aging), and topics within the Risk Prediction Initiative (e.g., ocean:atmosphere-based catastrophe models such as those used to predict hurricanes and/or intense rainfall events).

Students participated in weekly activities (e.g., REU student seminars, visits to the aquarium and biological conservation/restoration sites) and frequently joined BIOS scientists aboard the R/V Atlantic Explorer.  Since BIOS is a small campus, REU students had ample opportunity to get to know faculty/staff (e.g., lunch hour at Wright Hall; soccer or cricket on the pitch).  BIOS has many active teaching programs during Fall semester when REU students are resident; this ensured a diverse student population that included students from the US, Canada, and the UK (e.g, Princeton, Trent, Oxford).  REU students also had opportunities to work with ocean science students from developing countries as part of the POGO Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography.  As part of the REU Program at BIOS, REU students were asked to present their work to other student programs (e.g., Fall semester, POGO). Students were also involved in discussing their research with the general public during our yearly open house and weekly public tours. At program end, REU students presented a seminar of their work to BIOS staff and wrote manuscripts in the format of a journal appropriate for publication of each project.

BIOS is a multi disciplinary institution and as a result students were able to participate in experiences outside of their particular research.  For instance a student studying ocean acidification of corals was recruited to assist another REU student on a two day research cruise to the Sargasso Sea.  Thus, REU students were able to gain expereince in multiple areas of science and in turn, will be able to use this experience to help with career decisions.  REU students at BIOS were largely in charge of their projects, which allowed them to learn valuable skills in maintaining a project, trouble shooting, and planning.

Four of the 24 students have gone on to graduate schools, three are working in science education and one is working in IT; the remaining have either just graduated or are still in undergraduate studies.  Of the 2011 alumni, five have applied to graduate schools, two remain as undergraduates and one will return to BIOS to continue her REU project; four could potentially publish their work in peer reviewed journals.

Last Modified: 04/09/2012
Modified by: F. Gerald Plumley