Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Inc.

Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) was founded in 1903 as the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR). Since that time, they have grown from a small marine biological center and field station to a world-class ocean science research and education facility. The researchers at BIOS are committed to using their science to benefit people and communities around the world, providing resources and knowledge that can be used by government representatives, environmental management officials, community leaders, and individual citizens to make the planet a better place to live. The BIOS flagship, the Research Vessel Atlantic Explorer, provides faculty and staff—as well as visiting scientists and students—with well-equipped labs to support numerous scientific endeavors. BIOS routinely hosts researchers and students from around the world in collaborative efforts to expand global understanding of marine organisms, processes, and functions.

Since 1932, BIOS has resided in Ferry Reach, St. George’s on the east end of Bermuda. Located in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda is uniquely situated to serve as a base for research on a variety of inland, coastal, and deep-water issues of both local/national and global interest. From here, BIOS scientists can easily venture into the surrounding Sargasso Sea, one of the world’s most diverse open-ocean ecosystems. Bermuda is also home to some of the world’s most northern coral reefs, allowing researchers from around the globe an opportunity to study corals outside tropical waters.

BIOS will be involved in WP2 Transnational Access.
Access to Research Vessels and related infrastructure: RV Atlantic Explorer. The 170′ RV Atlantic Explorer is owned and operated by BIOS in compliance with the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) as a general purpose oceanographic vessel. The RV Atlantic Explorer is equipped with navigational, communications, laboratory, and mechanical facilities to support a wide range of oceanographic research. Among the ship’s many operational capabilities are: deploying and recovering deep ocean instrumentation and moorings, conducting CTD casts, chemical sampling, and gear testing.

The RV Atlantic Explorer provides scientists and research teams with a variety of resources, including: main, aft, and forward labs; Teaching lab; CTD garage; Stern and starboard A-frames; Flow-through seawater system; ADCP ocean profiler; Q-water (RO) system; 22 scientific berths; Shared-use radio-isotope van.