Zoe Skinner, 18, is a rising second year student in biochemistry at the University of Surrey (England). She was a 2019 Bermuda Program intern and worked with Rachel Parsons, a microbial oceanographer who investigates how microbial communities adapt to changing oxygen levels. This year, she is again working with Parsons on a project examining the microbiome (associated microbial community) of the pelagic (open ocean) macro-algae, Sargassum, focusing specifically on the effects that nutrient concentration has on the associated bacterial lineages.
What has your BIOS internship been like so far?
It’s been very good. It’s a continuation of what I did last year, so it’s really nice to be able to see how the project has progressed since I was last involved and the direction we are taking moving forward.
Has anything in particular impressed you while you have been at BIOS?
Generally, the facilities are really good, and it's nice to have the confidence to be able to use the equipment with support from my mentor. It's also nice to be able to interact with research scientists and do my own research.
When you think about your internship here, what is a memorable experience that comes to mind?
Going through the freezers to find all of the slide boxes and finding that, since 2019 when I started this project, the slides have more than doubled, meaning the project has grown past me.
Has your time at BIOS changed your thoughts on what you might want to do in the future?
Yes, originally I was going to go into psychology but after doing a work study at BIOS and then additional internships here, I have changed to a biochemistry degree. Now, I'm looking to do something with more research. In high school I was used to following protocols, whereas at BIOS I’m thinking about every step of the science, doing my own project, and taking ownership. This has enabled me to understand the basis of the scientific research I'm doing.
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| Photo credit: Imogen Peckett. |
Jessica Godfrey, 20, recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in marine biology from the University of Newcastle (U.K.). She was a 2018 Bermuda Program intern, and this year she is working with Amy Maas, a comparative physiologist and biological oceanographer and Hannah Gossner, a research technician in Maas’ lab, to study zooplankton samples from the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) project to gain information about seasonal changes in species composition and size.
What has your BIOS internship been like so far?
It has been different from my previous experience, as there's less of a social aspect [due to COVID-19 restrictions], but the BIOS staff has been good at accommodating us this summer to make sure we all get the lab experiences we are here for.
Has anything in particular impressed you while you have been at BIOS?
I'm using zooSCAN equipment, which literally scans water! This goes against everything I know about scanners. It is really impressive how much technology has advanced in science and how it can be used for marine biology.
When you think about your internship here, what is a memorable experience that comes to mind?
I’ve met so many great people over the years; people I’m still in touch with today from all over the world. I can’t pinpoint just one memory, each year brings a different experience.
Has your time at BIOS changed your thoughts on what you might want to do in the future?
It’s made me consider options that I’d never thought of before. The location of BIOS means I'm able to get experience working with zooplankton and corals, which I am not able to access at university. I still want to do biotechnology, but it’s been cool to experience other aspects of marine science.
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| Photo credit: Imogen Peckett. |
Jasper Thomas, 17, is a rising senior at Collegiate School in New York City (U.S.) and hopes to study marine science with a focus on ichthyology [the study of fishes] in the future. He is a first year Ocean Academy intern and is working with Robbie Smith, curator for the Natural History Museum at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo (BAMZ) and BIOS adjunct faculty. Jasper’s project uses transects, or paths across a habitat or part of a habitat, to examine resident fish species on Bermuda's shores.
What has your BIOS internship been like so far?
It’s been great! I’ve really like working with my supervisor, Robbie, and the other interns. They’re all nice. I like the work. I think it’s fun, but it’s not a breeze, and you have to pay attention. I really like being in the water. I like what I’m doing and I’m getting experience.
Has anything in particular impressed you while you have been at BIOS?
Everyone is so welcoming! On my first day, I received around an hour of orientation from Robbie. He told me what I had to do and how to do it, which made me feel a lot less stressed. I feel like during this internship, it doesn’t matter if I make mistakes and no one is judging me.
If you could sum up your internship in five words, what would they be?
Fun, new, informative, educational, and interesting.
When you think about your internship here, what is a memorable experience that comes to mind?
One fish that the other interns and I kept seeing appeared to be changing colors. When we showed it to our supervisor, he let us know that he didn’t know what it was. This was a really hands-on demonstration of figuring out species in the field.
Has your time at BIOS changed your thoughts on what you might want to do in the future?
Although I’ve always wanted to be a marine biologist, as I love swimming and scuba diving, this has confirmed it. I’m just really happy to be in this internship, as I’ve learned so much over such a short amount of time.
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, which will give them the opportunity to share more information about their research projects and experiences at BIOS.
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