Ocean Academy is a K-12 environmental education program at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). BIOS offers hands-on science education to visiting school groups from Bermuda and around the world.
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Waterstart
The Waterstart program is an outdoor environmental program for teenage students. The students, referred to as “BioNauts,” explore the marine world in an interactive, hands-on way. The BioNauts participate in PADI SCUBA certification courses by a BIOS dive instructor as well as participate in research based field trips, team building exercises, and lab work. During the 2011 summer, the Waterstart students worked with Texas A&M marine archeologists as they excavated a shipwreck.
BIOS Explorer Program
The BIOS Explorer Program is an interactive, year-round science program based on the internationally successful JASON Project. The program offers hands-on experience for students and teachers and provides teachers with online curriculum materials.
The Bermuda Program
The Bermuda Program focuses on Bermudian interns who wish to study the local environment. They work side-by-side with BIOS scientists during their eight-week stay on the BIOS station. Students must be at least 16 years old and from Bermuda. They spend their eight weeks working with a faculty mentor on a research project and are required to give presentations about their project throughout the summer.
Past projects include:
The Marine Science Internship
Similar to the Bermuda Program, the Marine Science Internship (MSI) at BIOS focuses on life and work on a scientific station. MSI students focus on science diving and experimental techniques, while working on small projects and logging science dives. Students participate in lectures, labs, field trips, dive training and science dives over the course of their three-week session. To be eligible for the MSI, students must have an Advanced Open Water Diving certification card and be CPR certified. Two slots from each session are reserved for Bermudian students.