Environment Minister Attends BIOS Ceremony

Newly appointed Environment Minister Marc Bean this week [Nov.3] unveiled a plaque at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences East End facility commemorating the Bank of Bermuda Foundation’s contributions to its ground-breaking scientific research.

Mr. Bean said donations provided by the charitable foundation had allowed BIOS to purchase its research vessel [pictured], putting the Bermuda research institute at the forefront of global deep-sea research.

“With their help BIOS was able to acquire the R/V ‘Atlantic Explorer’, a one-hundred-and-seventy-foot ocean-going research vessel which will, without a doubt, advance the quality and integrity of numerous science and education programmes in and around Bermuda,” he said.

“Of great significance is the fact that usage of this vessel may be granted to scientists located at any university or institution around the world, thus helping to put Bermuda all the more firmly on the international map in terms of being on the cutting edge of oceanic research.

“The Bermuda Government would therefore like to formally recognize the foresight and generosity of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation in helping BIOS acquire this critical research tool.”

The full text of Mr. Bean’s remarks appears below:

Good Evening Everyone,

Thank you for being here today at this plaque dedication ceremony to recognize the Bank of Bermuda Foundation for its investment in the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences.

With their help BIOS was able to acquire the R/V “Atlantic Explorer”, a one-hundred-and-seventy-foot ocean-going research vessel which will, without a doubt, advance the quality and integrity of numerous science and education programmes in and around Bermuda.

Of great significance is the fact that usage of this vessel may be granted to scientists located at any university or institution around the world, thus helping to put Bermuda all the more firmly on the international map in terms of being on the cutting edge of oceanic research.

The Bermuda Government would therefore like to formally recognize the foresight and generosity of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation in helping BIOS acquire this critical research tool.

We would also like to thank BIOS for all that they do in their role as a steward of our marine and atmospheric environments.

For more than a century BIOS has carried out internationally recognized research into the pressing environmental issues of the day.

Over this time, BIOS has emerged as an important base for studying the Open Ocean and ocean atmosphere, understanding unique marine habitats, and being an essential knowledge center for marine research for the island of Bermuda.

It was back in 1975 that BIOS first launched The Bermuda Inshore Waters Investigation Project which examined the changes in Bermuda’s ecosystem caused by human-introduced contaminants in the water. This study would be the first of many to come which would help protect this key resource for Bermuda.

Some of their current projects include:

• The Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study which provides crucial information to the international climate science community;
• The Bermuda Ocean Acidification and Coral Reef Investigation which aims to improve our understanding of the potential consequences of ocean acidification to coral reef ecosystems;
• Their Sea Urchin Ageing Study which presents a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of aging due to the existence of a sea urchin species with no apparent age-related decline in health;
• And Coral Reproduction and Recruitment Studies to help us to understand the coral reproductive cycles.

Furthermore, their high-quality education programmes, especially for Bermuda’s students, help to promote a sense of “ocean literacy” through the BIOS Ocean Academy programmes.

I would also like to take this opportunity to celebrate the strong partnership between the Bermuda Government and BIOS, which has existed since the inception of BIOS in 1903.

It was the Bermuda Government who worked with the Rockefeller Foundation in the 1920s to help the precursor of today’s BIOS to acquire the Ferry Reach location.

Over time, the Bermuda Government has continued to be supportive of BIOS’s work.

Many of their programmes assist the Government in protecting Bermuda’s environment through their research and monitoring of air quality, environmental pollution and coral reef health.

Their Air Quality programme, for example, continues to provide high quality, timely data on the quality of ambient air in Bermuda, with a particular focus on the impact of incinerator emissions from the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility.

The Marine Environment Programme (MEP) supplies vital monitoring and assessment of the health and status of Bermuda’s marine environment, with BIOS providing continued scientific and technical expertise under provisions of an annual grant.

The long-term Water Quality Monitoring Programme monitors a range of seawater quality parameters at 12 locations on a monthly during basis.

… And the long-term Seawater Temperature Monitoring Programme records data at 11 locations across Bermuda to examine potential global warming effects on the Bermuda marine environment. This program has now been completed yearly for seven consecutive years making it Bermuda’s most comprehensive on-going reef monitoring program.

We are so lucky in Bermuda to have the ocean as our backyard – to explore, enjoy and protect.

Therefore, the stewardship of the environment should be seen as something of tremendous importance to all Bermudians.

In closing, I would like to stress that the Bermuda Government is extremely proud of BIOS for being such an important and rare resource for the island and the world beyond.

Thank You.

#BermudaInstituteOfOceanSciences #BermudaMarine

Category: All, Environment