BIOS To Host Marine Science Day

On Saturday, September 25, locals and visitors alike will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the ocean that surrounds our tiny mid-Atlantic island. The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) will hold its annual open house, Marine Science Day, at its Ferry Reach campus in St. George’s.

Bermuda’s students are heading back to school this month and learning science theory in the classroom. Marine Science Day offers them a rare chance to experience science in action and see how those theories can be applied in the real world, both on a local and a global level.

“Our students need to be inspired and awed by science and all the opportunities it can open up for them,” said JP Skinner, BIOS’s Education Officer. “At Marine Science Day, they can meet real scientists who use the same chemistry, biology and physics principles they’re learning in school. They can actually see what’s possible and all the mysteries that are out there waiting to be unravelled.”

A wide range of research and tools will be on show at BIOS for the public to explore, from investigations of the ways climate change is affecting our oceans to studies of the microscopic plants and animals that live there, and from simple glass beakers to an ocean-going research ship.

The Marine Science Day scientists have tailored their activities to spark the imaginations of visitors of all ages. Old favourites like wacky science, mini research cruises and the puppet show will run at set times throughout the day. BIOS’s remotely operated mini submarine will zoom around in Ferry Reach, controlled on land by members of the public.

Several BIOS researchers, along with colleagues from the Bermuda Zoological Society and the Bermuda Weather Service, will be on hand in the Ask a Scientist tent to answer questions about coral reefs, hurricanes, ocean chemistry, the marine environment, and what life as a working scientist is like. BIOS President and Director Dr. Tony Knap will put his 40 years of experience to the test when he invites to public come by and ask him any marine science question.

Marine Science Day 2010 will take place at BIOS’s Ferry Reach campus in St. George’s on Saturday, September 25 from 11am to 4pm. Admission and parking are free. Hot food, snacks, drinks and reusable water bottles will be on sale throughout the day. A schedule of the day’s events is available online at www.bios.edu. Call 297-1880 for more information.

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Category: All, Environment