Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences
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Bermuda InstItute of Ocean scIences AnnuAl REpoRt 2010 17 Biological Station, St George’s, GE 01 Bermuda Cover & this page, photos by tiffany Wardman ContEntS Letter from the Director 4 Board of Trustees 6 Financial Highlights 8 Research Programs 12 Publications 15 Education Programs 17 Seminars, Lectures & Events 20 BIOS Faculty & Staff 22 Honor Roll of Donors 24 With roots dating back to 1903, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, Inc., (BIOS) is a world class marine science research and education insti- tute, Bermuda's principal source of en- vironmental education and a global training centre for young scientists. photos by tiffany Wardman lEttER from the diRECtoR he past year brought many challenges to BIOS, but EDucATIOn HIGHLIGHTS T also many accomplishments. BIOS remains strong, The coopers Island restoration work has been given an and continues to be an extraordinary global scientific and indirect boost through HSBc’s involvement. The bank educational institution, despite the difficult economic has sponsored the removal of derelict buildings and in- times. The business of BIOS is doing well – grant success vasive trees from the park, which will enable greater ac- is high, scientific publications are on the rise, and educa- cess for our student groups to continue their work tion programs are well subscribed. Our focus in 2010 was planting native trees. to increase funding to the endowment, and we have made significant strides on that front. We also focused on major Woodland restoration work continues as a means of pro- facility issues, however much of this will have to be tem- viding hands-on experience with ecological issues and the pered, factoring in economic challenges. local oceanic island curriculum. Several local classes are scheduled to assist at coopers Island nature Reserve, and We at BIOS have an unwavering commitment to edu- other informal education groups (Operation Raleigh, cating Bermudian youth about marine science and the BHS Duke of Edinburgh group) are assisting at Ferry local environment. The institution also continues to be Point Park. a training centre on an international scale. It was another outstanding year for BIOS education, with POGO and coral lectures and snorkel lessons continue in association the local education programs proving to be particularly with the Bermuda Sloop Foundation aboard the Spirit of successful. Bermuda. We contribute a day’s aquatic programming each week to assist the local middle school groups while The Waterstart season was fully subscribed again this year, they are aboard. This reaches all public middle school stu- and approximately 2000 local students attended the BIOS dents and seems both a valuable educational avenue as well Explorer program. In fact, due to its popularity, an addi- as good publicity for BIOS. tional day was added to the schedule to accommodate all requested visits. Efforts are being made to expand the pro- In connection with educators from the R/V Sea Dragon / gram to allow the participation of a greater number of stu- Pangaea Expedition, we have arranged field trips for local dents. A growing number of older teenaged students are students to investigate the problem of plastic trash in the looking for a “next step”, thus, the Bermuda Program is Sargasso Sea. also being expanded in 2010 in order to provide additional experiences for local students, doubling in size from four It was another impressive year for the POGO centre of scholarships to eight. The new extended program there- Excellence and we have been given the go-ahead for an- fore provides opportunities for students who have gradu- other year. The current POGOnians were selected from ated from high school but are still in the early stages of an applicant pool of 111 from thirty-eight countries, show- their undergraduate career. ing just how competitive and selective the program has be- pg 4 Bermuda institute of ocean Sciences Annual Report 2010 lEttER from the diRECtoR come. The POGO program is an impressive range of stu- gator (PI) or co-PI for at least twenty-two active and sep- dents from around the globe and it is of great value to be arate federal agency awards and several other founda- educating young scientists about preserving the oceans tion/non-federal agency awards. This exceeds the hopes and marine life. for peer-review publication and grantsmanship outlined in the strategic plan a few years ago. Although BIOS has a 2010 also proved to be another strong year of student en- small number of faculty compared to other institutions, rollment for the fall semester courses offered at BIOS. The their per-capita contribution to the scientific and broader Marine Invertebrate Zoology and coral Reef Ecology community is impressive. classes were filled with enthusiastic students. The sum- mer internship program continues to be very popular and Finally, BIOS would like to welcome three new trustees: we receive hundreds of inquiries each year from potential neill currie, cEO of Renaissance Re, Brad Kopp the cEO interns. We now have two BIOS graduate students, one in of Butterfield Bank and Michael McGavick, cEO of XL the university of Southampton-BIOS collaborative PhD capital. It cannot go without saying that we were also sad- Program, the other in the Princeton-BIOS joint PhD Pro- dened by the untimely death of Trustee Matt Simmons gram. Both students are mentored by Dr. Mike Lomas and who was a great supporter of BIOS. co-advised by Dr. Duncan Purdie (university of Southampton, national Oceanography centre) and Drs. Our sincere gratitude for all of your support, and your Danny Sigman and Bess Ward (Princeton university). continued commitment to BIOS as we look to build our endowment and annual funds, and design a strategic plan RESEARcH HIGHLIGHTS that will make BIOS even more prominent and well-re- More than forty peer-review papers were published in spected as a global marine science institution. 2010, with several high-profile publications in Nature and Science and a very long list of co-authors at other institu- tions demonstrating the active network BIOS faculty have established. BIOS is proud to say we received an $850,000, nSF grant for BEAcOn (BErmuda ocean Acidification and cOral reef investigation). BIOS faculty were Principal Investi- Anthony H. Knap nicholas R. Bates Director Interim Director Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences pg 5 Bermuda institute of ocean Sciences Annual Report 2010 BoARd of tRuStEES OFFIcers trustees Canada Chairman United States Michael A. Butt Brian Duperreault Kenneth H. Brink, PhD Buttcon Limited Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Concord, Ontario Honorary Chancellor Woods Hole, MA His Excellency the Governor Diane Francis Sir Richard Gozney, KCMG Thomas M. Church, PhD Toronto, Ontario University of Delaware Vice Chairmen Karl Wildi IdwalWyn Hughes, PhD Rita R. Colwell, PhD Toronto, Ontario Ian Strecker University of Maryland William Williams John W. Farrington, PhD Europe President and Executive Director Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Lady (Judy) Vereker Anthony H Knap, PhD Woods Hole, MA London Treasurer and Controller Diana H. Frazier Stephen Markman FLAG Capital Management, LLC Bermuda Stamford, CT Philip V. Bancroft Secretary ACE Limited Gillian M.S. Hollis James N. Galloway, PhD University of Virginia Philip Butterfield Charlottesville, VA HSBC Bank of Bermuda Limited Linda K. Glover Neill Currie GloverWorks Consulting Renaissance Re Holdings Ltd Alexandria, VA Brian Duperreault Rodney H. Glover Marsh & McLennan Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP Washington, DC Richard J. Ferrett Tucker’s Town Mae C. Jemison, PhD Houston, Texas Allan W. B. Gray Orbis Investment Management Ltd Charles F. Kennel Scripps Institution of Oceanography Michael D. Hamer, PhD La Jolla, CA Smith’s Alan McGowan Idwal Wyn Hughes, PhD New School University Hamilton Parish New York, NY Rebecca Knox-Byrne H. Rodger Melton, PhD Tucker’s Town Exxon Mobil Corporation Houston, TX Bradford Kopp Butterfield Bank William Russel, PhD Princeton University Michael S. McGavick XL Group plc Deborah K. Steinberg, PhD Virginia Institute of Marine Science Christopher Maybury Gloucester Point, VA St George’s Anthony Williams Raymond E. Moore DLA Piper LLP Pembroke New York, NY pg 6 Bermuda institute of ocean Sciences Annual Report 2010 BoARd of tRuStEES Bermuda (continued) trustees emerItus Michael A. Butt, OBE Brian M. O’Hara AXIS Capital Holdings Limited Paget Robert E. Cawthorn Jonathan F. Reiss Warwick Ernst & Young Margot B. Perot Ralph E. Richardson Dallas,TX The ACE Foundation LIFe trustees The Honorable Gerald D.E. Simons, OBE United States The Argus Group Neil R. Andersen, PhD Foster Bam James N Stanard, PhD James N. Butler, PhD Paget Rosamond H. Butler Clayton P. Cormier Ian Strecker John A. Knauss, PhD Warwick Frederick J. Kollmorgen Cindy Lee, PhD The Honorable Sir John W. Swan, KBE, JP H. Eugene Lehman, PhD The Swan Group Frederick T. Mackenzie, PhD Frank B. Sprow, PhD Edward S. Trippe John H. Steele, PhD Harrington Sound Talbot H. Waterman, PhD W. Redwood Wright, PhD George A. Wardman Coral Beach and Tennis Club Bermuda James Burnett-Herkes, PhD William H. Williams John R.H. Lightbourn STW Fixed Income Management Ltd Terry E. Lister, JP,MP Wendell M. Smith Richard D. Spurling Brunell Spurling Ernest E. Stempel David B. Wingate, PhD,OBE Canada Michael L. Davies Europe F. Geoffrey Larminie Robert T. Sperring annuaL Fund cOmmIttee We would like to thank the Annual Fund Committee for their hard work and dedication in 2010: Committee Chair: Jonathan F. Reiss Jeffery Conyers Ann Durhager photos pg 6 by Jp Skinner, Maureen Elizabeth A.C. Durrant Conte and Rachel Evans. this pg by Gerald Simons Charlotte Best (middle) and tiffany David Skinner Wardman Amanda Swan pg 7 Bermuda institute of ocean Sciences Annual Report 2010 December 31, 2010 anD 2009 ooking back on 2010, we realize that fundamentally BIOS is very strong.