2020 Ocean Academy Intern Interviews Part 4

Welcome back! 

Here are three more of the 2020 Ocean Academy interns in their own words: 

Photo credit: Samia Sarkis.

K’ari Bean, 19, is currently pursuing her associate of science degree at Bermuda College and has aspirations to study marine science in the future. She is a first year Ocean Academy intern working with Samia Sarkis, director of research and development for the Living Reefs Foundation and BIOS adjunct faculty, to assess ideal environmental conditions for coral larvae growth.

What has your BIOS internship been like so far?

It is really hands on! It’s been a good way to see what I would get to experience in this field, as I want to study marine biology. It’s also been an eye-opening experience. I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist because I like the water, but seeing what marine biologists do on a daily basis has been valuable.

Has anything impressed you while you have been at BIOS?

How quickly science happens. I am doing coral research and seeing the larvae growing into spat happens so quickly. It is interesting, because when you see a fully-grown coral you don’t realize where it started and how rapidly it grew and divided.

If you could sum up your internship in five words, what would they be?

Eye-opening, informative, really interactive. 

When you think about your internship here, what is a memorable experience that comes to mind?

Diving on the coral gardens my supervisor Samia set up at Rosewood Tucker’s Point [the Living Reef Foundation’s tourism partner] and seeing how she has implemented the Coral Garden Initiative there. In lots of other marine science internships, you learn by watching but in this one you are the scientist.

Photo credit: Imogen Peckett.

Treiana Zuill, 17, is a rising junior in coastal environmental science at Flagler College (U.S.). She was a 2019 Bermuda Program intern and this year she is working with Robbie Smith, curator of the Natural History Museum at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo (BAMZ) and BIOS adjunct faculty, to conduct surveys to monitor Bermuda's inshore fish populations along several patch reefs around the island.

What has your BIOS internship been like so far?

It’s been hard, but in a really good way. Each and every day I push myself mentally by trying to keep as much information in my head as possible about what I’m learning and doing. Physically, I’m also doing more swimming than I’ve ever done in my life, so it’s been hard and rewarding.

Has anything in particular impressed you while you have been at BIOS?

How much you can learn by simply doing things!  With the surveys I’m doing, I’m memorizing different types of fish and corals. It is so much more interesting than memorizing from a textbook or flashcard.

If you could sum up your internship in five words, what would they be and why? 

An adventure - I’m exploring places in my own country that I’ve never been and never would have thought to go.

A challenge - I’m taking in so much new and fresh information and trying to apply it on a daily basis, but it’s a good challenge.

A learning curve - there is so much information about my own home that I never would have known if it wasn't for this experience. 

Fascinating - I’m becoming so much more aware of Bermuda's ecosystems.

And extremely, extremely interesting. 

When you think about your internship here, what is a memorable experience that comes to mind?

My first time exploring an offshore reef. Growing up, I was used to everyone going swimming or snorkeling just off of the rocks, so going offshore for the first time was a new and great experience. 

Has your time at BIOS changed your thoughts on what you might want to do in the future?

It has definitely solidified my thoughts on what my plans for the future are. I always knew I was interested in the environmental sciences but I wasn’t 100 percent sure that I could do it and make a career out of it, but participating in this internship has shown me that it’s definitely possible. 

Photo credit: Imogen Peckett.

Charlotte Peckett, 17, is a rising year 13 at Oundle School (England), who hopes to pursue biomedicine at university. She is a first year Ocean Academy intern who is working with Shane Antonition, a former Bermuda Program intern who completed his masters dissertation on microplastics, to look at the sizes and amounts of microplastics on Bermuda's beaches. Microplastics, generally defined as plastic fragments 5mm or less in length, can result from the breakdown of consumer products and industrial waste and are a significant source of plastic waste on Bermuda's beaches.

What has your BIOS internship been like so far?

I’ve really enjoyed it. It's been nice to have a mix between field work and lab work. This has been really different from what I've learned at school. Everyone has been really friendly, and I've also enjoyed the fact that interns are able to get involved with different projects during their internships. 

Has anything in particular impressed you while you have been at BIOS?

Everyone is really friendly, and I think all the projects sound really interesting. There’s such a large variety of projects to choose from. All of the interns and staff are so willing to selflessly help other people. 

When you think about your internship here, what is a memorable experience that comes to mind?

It was eye opening to learn that remote beaches are more affected by microplastics than larger beaches, due to a lack of beach grooming. We visited Cooper's Island [a Nature Reserve on the east end of the island] and it had more microplastics than Horseshoe Bay [a popular beach on the southern tip of the island], which is much more visited. I was also surprised that some of the samples we got that just looked like shells or seaweed actually had plastic embedded within them when separated them out. This isn’t just a problem in Bermuda, it’s mostly plastics from foreign sources.

Has your time at BIOS changed your thoughts on what you might want to do in the future?

It’s reinforced my desire to pursue science. This internship has showed me that I really enjoy working in a lab-based team, and this has led me to pursue biomedicine instead of medicine at university.

Thank you for reading about our 2020 Ocean Academy interns. We invite you to stay tuned throughout the coming weeks as we present more individual interviews with each intern.