2014 BIOS Summer Interns - Post #1

It's that time of year again: when BIOS opens its doors and labs to a new group of summer interns, eager to learn conduct supervised research projects and gain valuable experience working in marine science and oceanography. This summer, BIOS welcomes interns from Eckerd College (recipient of the Galbraith/Wardman Fellowship), CaBIOS (Canadian Associates of BIOS) scholars, Furman University, students from the Princeton Environmental Institute and the Princeton Internships in Civil Service, a recipient of the Cawthorne Cambridge fellowship, volunteer interns, and the many Bermudian students participating in Ocean Academy's Bermuda Program. Over the next few weeks we'll be introducing each of these students, giving you a glimpse into their education background, future plans, and the research projects they'll be working on while at BIOS. Then, toward the end of the summer, we'll check back in with them to learn about the results of their work and what they learned along the way.

Rebecca Terrett is a rising junior at Princeton in the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI) where she is majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. She's always been interested in marine science, particularly SCUBA diving, and wanted marine-specific general education that isn't currently offered at Princeton. She heard about the PEI internship at BIOS from some of her friends that came last summer and decided to apply for a position with Dr. Eric Hochberg in the Coral Reef Ecology and Optics Lab (CREOL) where she will be studying the phenology of coral pigments using bio-optics. Rebecca said that another reason she wanted an internship at BIOS is the ability to work full-time on a research project and to learn from full-time researchers and scientists. In addition to marine science, she recently developed an interest in animal behavior and neuroscience and is looking forward to the possibility of working in a neuroscience lab at Princeton when she returns in the fall.

Rebecca working at the CREOL flume

Amy Pope is a rising senior at Furman University where she is majoring in biology. As a student in the 2013 Furman Oceans and Human Health course held at BIOS, as well as the BIOS summer Coral Reef Ecology course, Amy became familiar with the internship opportunities available at our institution. This summer, for eight weeks, she will be working with Dr. Andrea Bodnar in the Molecular Discovery Lab  studying the expression of cell proliferation and stem cell markers in sea urchin tissues. She hopes her internship at BIOS will provide a broader understanding of marine biology in real-life settings.

Amy working in the microscopy lab at BIOS

Celine Collis is a rising senior at the University of Toronto where she is double-majoring in Ethics, Society & Law and Biodiversity & Conservation Studies. A Bermuda Program student, this will be Celine's third year working with Dr. Hochberg in the Coral Reef Ecology and Optics Lab at BIOS. She hopes to follow a career path in environmental law and just recently took the law school admissions exam. Growing up in Bermuda she spent much of her time in or on the water and holds Bermuda's marine environment close to her heart, considering it something worth advocating for. Her experiences at BIOS have supplemented her existing knowledge of the environment and she hopes this will help down the road with her future cases.

Celine aboard one of BIOS's research vessels

Daniel Maguire is a rising freshman at Dalhousie University where he will be starting this fall in the marine science program. He is a first-year Bermuda Program student, but a long-time friend of BIOS, having participated in the Waterstart Program, the Marine Science Internship (MSI) Program and--most recently--returning to Waterstart as a group leader. This year he will be working with both Tim Noyes in the Coral Reef Ecology and Optics Lab (using BRUVS to study fish behavior) and Dr. Gretchen Goodbody-Gringley (research project to be determined).

Daniel at the BIOS waterfront

Kevin Wong is a rising senior at Carleton University in Ottawa where he is majoring in environmental science as a co-op student, meaning that he works at relevant positions throughout the later years of his degree program. He found out about BIOS internship opportunities through an internet search and was pleased to learn about support available through the Canadian Associates of BIOS (CaBIOS) program. This summer be will be working with Dr. Samantha de Putron in the Coral Reproduction and Recruitment Lab studying the impacts of temperature variation on coral larvae. After his degree, Kevin is interested in pursuing a career conducting environmental impact assessments and remediation. 

Kevin at the BIOS waterfront

Christie Halliday just completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences at Plymouth University. She is also a 4th year Bermuda Program student working with Dr. Hochberg in the Coral Reef Ecology and Optics Lab, potentially studying the photosynthetic efficiency of various coral functional groups. Christie has enjoyed BIOS's Bermuda Program because, "It's a really great way to build upon the material covered at university and has helped improve my understanding of marine environments. Everyone at BIOS is always really friendly and happy to give advice, both on specific topics and generally on careers in science." She is currently taking a year away to apply to schools, as she hopes to attend graduate school to study marine policy and resource management.

Christie working at the CREOL flume

Annie McCarthy is a rising junior at Eckerd College, a marine biology major, and the 2014 recipient of the Galbraith/Wardman Fellowship. She has had multiple study-abroad experiences, including a SeaMester in the Caribbean, working as a student researcher for the School for Field Studies in the Turks and Caicos, and as an international student in Bali and Indonesia. It was these experiences that got her interested in marine science--specifically coral and reef restoration--as she was able to see first hand the contrast between the healthier coral reefs in Indonesia and the human-impacted reefs in the Caribbean. During her ten-week internship at BIOS this summer, Annie will be working with Dr. Samantha de Putron in the Coral Reproduction and Recruitment Lab studying the effect of light and feeding on coral growth.

Annie in the Coral Reproduction & Recruitment Lab

Stay tuned next week for profiles of more of the BIOS Summer 2014 interns!

Environmental Exploration: The Natural and Unnatural Features of Bermuda

Hi everyone! My name is Harrison and I stayed at BIOS doing research on the chemistry of tar as part of the Research Experience for Undergraduates funded by the National Science Foundation.

Your author at work!

The natural history of the island of Bermuda is highly accessible. As part of our tenure at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), we interns partook in a romp through Walsingham—one of Bermuda’s many parks—with Field Conservation Officer Robert Chandler. Mr. Chandler enthralled us, fluidly explaining the many natural and unnatural features we observed on our walk. We stood in a gigantic natural sink-hole, staring at the beautiful curtain rock exposed when its carbonaceous housing collapsed. Innately knowing our un-vocalized questions about the origin of this dramatic geological feature, Mr. Chandler delved into the introduction of a myriad of non-native plants to Bermuda that forever changed the island’s soil chemistry. As a student of chemistry, I latched onto this particular fact. I felt a sense of awe; here was chemistry at work over the course of hundreds of years. Later in the tour, we had a chance to swim in a flooded cave—certainly another unique experience where the alkaline conditions of the pool’s water is said to leave your skin feeling strange and rubbery, like that of a shark. None of us felt shark-like in the least, but swimming in the cave was at once both haunting and exhilarating.

The cave pools of Walsingham, Bermuda

Our experience with Bermuda’s natural features and vegetation extended beyond our guided tour at Walsingham. The BIOS campus is home to many edible plants. I have had a chance to sample coconuts and bananas grown feet from our front door, and I have heard tantalizing rumors of an avocado tree as well. Fig trees also grow in abundance. The presence of edibles and easily-recognizable facets of Bermuda’s natural history is at least in part responsible for the dynamic relationship we cultivated with the environment during our stay on the island.

The view from my room!

During the last three months, I have had the pleasure to be involved in a number of trips and activities through BIOS that have deepened my appreciation for studying the environment. I have gone sampling on the Research Vessel Atlantic Explorer with the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study crew. What could be more fantastic than having your office in the middle of the ocean, and launching instruments to the lightless depths of the ocean, and taking breaks on deck in the sun. 

 Left to right: Mentor Ruth Curry with REU students Amy, Ryan, Kelsey, and Ameena watching sampling late at night on the R/V Atlantic Explorer. 

Back on land, I helped in the station-wide effort to clean anthropogenic debris from Whalebone Bay. I also walked most of the verdant and—more-often-than-not—stunning portions of the Bermuda railway trail. And even further, I have met some of the station’s trustees, and besides the excellent conversations, gleaned insightful tidbits about how their careers have brought them to be a part of BIOS.

Amy and Derek on our 15 mile walk on the Bermuda railway trail.

I could not recommend my experience at BIOS more. I sincerely hope that next Fall sees another group of interns that have a similar, remarkable experience.

The REU program at BIOS is supported by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences under Grant No. 1262880.