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2020 Summer Courses at Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) – APPLICATION DEADLINE APRIL 30
The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for three summer courses scheduled for 2020.
All students are eligible to apply for scholarships towards the tuition fees and may obtain academic credit for these courses, pending approval from the student's home institution.
Application Deadline for all summer courses is April 30, 2020
Course details, application form and scholarship information are available on BIOS's summer course webpage http://www.bios.edu/education/summer-courses
Questions? Please contact us at education@bios.edu
MODERN OBSERVATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY (June 24 - July 14)
Instructors: Dr. Rod Johnson (BIOS), Ruth Curry (BIOS), Dr. Maureen Conte (BIOS and MBL), Dr. Damian Grundle (BIOS), Dr. Amy Maas (BIOS)
Modern oceanography combines increasingly large and diverse datasets to further our understanding of biogeochemical and physical processes in the marine environment. How are these data obtained and used? The aim of this course is to provide students with a broad introduction to and practical experience in the field of observational oceanography utilizing a variety of state-of-the-art technologies and methods.
During the 3-week course, a combination of lectures, laboratory training and fieldwork will introduce students to current research questions and observational methods used to investigate them. Themes will include carbon and nutrient cycling and the processes that affect biological production in the ocean, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and the spatial/temporal scales of physical ocean processes. Students will develop a practical understanding of both the science topics and techniques used to study them through participation in a range of activities, including: a 2-day research cruise aboard the UNOLS vessel R/V Atlantic Explorer, working with Oceanic Flux Program sediment trap data, piloting autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) deployed offshore of Bermuda in conjunction with zooplankton tows, and learning about ocean observations collected by the commercial container vessel Oleander. Throughout the course, students will work with real data sets, participate in round-table discussions, give presentations and produce a short report – all of which will provide opportunities for hands-on learning and a basis for evaluating student progress and performance.
CORAL REEF ECOLOGY: FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY OF CORAL REEFS (August 3 - 21)
Instructors: Dr. Dr. Eric Hochberg (BIOS) and Dr. Yvonne Sawall (BIOS)
The overall aim of this course is to study how environment impacts reef benthic communities and the fundamental processes of photosynthesis and calcification. Production of organic and inorganic carbon underpins growth and maintenance of the reef ecosystem. These processes are strongly influenced by environmental parameters including water chemistry, hydrodynamics, light availability/capture, and temperature, as well as the taxonomic composition of the community itself. Reef geomorphological and ecological zonation demonstrates that benthic communities have adapted to (and influence) their prevailing environmental conditions. At the same time, conditions are never static, and communities must acclimate to short- and long-term changes in their environment. A vitally important question is how global change will impact this baseline of reef function. These complex and dynamic interactions between reef communities and their ever-changing environments comprise the topics covered by this course.
This is an intensive course, aimed at upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs. Course logistics include readings, lectures, discussions/presentations, and extensive laboratory and field work. Next to gaining a solid understanding of coral reef ecology and reef functional processes, students gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation and techniques for collecting and analyzing reef community and environmental data: building underwater photomosaics, measuring current profiles, characterizing the underwater light field, determining nutrient concentrations, and quantifying rates of primary production and calcification.
MARINE LARVAL ECOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS AND DEVELOPMENTAL PLASTICITY (June 29 – July 17)
Instructors: Dr. Justin McAlister (College of the Holy Cross) and Dr. Scott Santagata (Long Island University - Post)
The larval developmental stages of many marine invertebrates are unique to organisms that effectively link benthic ecosystems with pelagic ecosystems. Larvae are highly diverse in form, function, and life histories and can be particularly sensitive to various kinds of environmental stressors. Developmental plasticity can occur at both molecular and morphological levels in response to natural and anthropogenic stressors such as elevated ocean temperatures, increased ocean acidity, and patchily distributed phytoplankton food resources, as well as from exposure to pollutants like petroleum, heavy metals, and microplastics. For many organisms, “normal” developmental patterns are not well known, let alone how development may vary in response to single or multiple interacting environmental stressors.
This course will examine the ecology, evolution, and development of marine invertebrate larvae, their roles as part of the meroplankton, and their responses to environmental stressors at multiple biological scales. Students will gain hands-on experience collecting various marine invertebrates from local habitats (mangrove, coral reef, pelagic open water) during boat and shore-based excursions. In the laboratory, the focus of the course will be on learning to spawn adults, obtain and fertilize gametes, culture larvae, and conduct empirical studies of larval development under conditions of current and potential future environmental stress. Modern physiological, molecular, and microscopy-based methods will be used throughout the course. Lectures and laboratories will cover a broad range of topics and principles relevant to larval biology and developmental plasticity.
FULLY FUNDED MARINE SCIENCE, OCEANOGRAPHIC AND ATMOSPHERIC UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIPS
The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) has received funding from the National Science Foundation, (NSF Award number OCE-1757475), for the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program (http://www.bios.edu/education/reu/) to support internships for undergraduate student research at BIOS during fall 2020 (students will arrive August 30 and depart November 21).
A 12-week REU internship at BIOS is an ideal way to gain the experience necessary to embark on graduate studies or careers in oceanography and the marine and atmospheric sciences. REU interns will carry out an independent research project under the expert supervision of BIOS scientists and undertake training in scientific communication, research methods and ethics, and career development. You will give presentations about your research to your peers and colleagues at BIOS. Our program offers the opportunity to take part in various field excursions to learn about Bermuda’s natural history, flora and fauna plus all students will have the opportunity to participate in an oceanographic research cruise aboard our research vessel R/V Atlantic Explorer.
Funding includes return air travel from the US to Bermuda, accommodation and meals. Each successful REU applicant will also receive a competitive stipend.
This program provides recipients with the opportunity to design and conduct intensive, hands-on research projects - under faculty supervision and mentorship, within several research areas including:
· Biology, chemistry, and physics of the open ocean
· Biology, physiology, and biochemistry of reef building corals and reef ecosystems
· Molecular biology of marine organisms
· Environmental chemistry of Bermuda's atmosphere and inshore waters
· Effects and consequences of global environmental change
Further information on the REU program at BIOS can be found here http://www.bios.edu/education/reu/ including eligibility, application instructions, online application form, past student testimonials and details of the potential projects that students may apply to work on in 2020.
Applicants must meet the following criteria: Completed at least one year of undergraduate study; Will still be enrolled as an undergraduate in the fall of 2020; U.S. citizen or permanent resident
The application deadline is May 31, 2020
We urge all successful applicants to arrange for independent study credit through their home institutions. Underrepresented groups, and students attending colleges or universities where research opportunities in STEM are limited, are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants are ineligible if they have participated in a prior NSF-funded REU in Ocean Sciences
Questions? Please contact us at education@bios.edu
- Ocean Observatories Initiative has opportunities for U.S. graduate students to participate in 2 cruises aboard the R/V Sikuliaq this year
- PhD Programmes in collaboration with China Scholarship Council - The initiative for attracting excellent Chinese graduates at the University of Bologna, Italy. Applications for the 2020-2021 a.y. are now open! You can apply from Studenti Online, by Feb 14th 2020 h. 1.00 p.m. (local time). Interested students in ‘Coastal ocean carbon cycle under a changing climate’ are kindly required to make urgent contacts with: Roberta Guerra, PhD, Working Group ‘Ocean, Climate Change and Acidification’ (Coordinator) EU COST action OCEANGOV www.oceangov.eu
- PhD candidate to develop experimental approaches to understand how climate change stressors affect the activity of diazotrophs, and how they will impact phytoplankton biodiversity and productivity in the future ocean with Mar Benavides. The position is fully funded for 3 years under the project NOTION (NitrOgen fixers structuring phyToplankton bIodiversity in the OceaN under climate change), funded by the BNP Paribas Foundation Climate & Biodiversity initiative. The candidate will be based at the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) in France, with visits to the Leibniz Institute of Baltic Sea Research (Germany) and the University of Copenhagen (Denmark).
- PhD Scholarship in biogeochemistry in Australia: The role of tidal wetlands and shallow vegetated coastal systems as sources or sinks of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O)
- MS Assistantship in Marine Biology (Ocean Acidification) in Amanda Kelley’s lab at Univ of Alaska Fairbanks. (Listing on OA Exchange)
- L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowships
- Global Wetlands Project seeking PhD students to investigate biodiversity conservation, field ecology, ecological modelling, biogeography or wetlands ecology at Griffith University, Australia
- Ph.D. student in demographic variation under climate change in ephemeral wetlands
- Dr. Matthew J. Oliver at University of Delaware is looking for new graduate student(s) for Master's or PhD interested biological oceanography/ecology/robots/satellites. Application dates are somewhat flexible so don't worry about the Feb 1 deadline. Feel free to get in touch with any questions!
- PhD opportunity in Australia on connecting marine science with policy and practice
- PhD position in marine biogeochemical modelling at Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement (IPSL/LSCE), Gif-sur-Yvette, France on Primary production in the subpolar North Atlantic: From historical variability to future projections - more information here
- Summer REU at Northeastern's Marine Science Center to work on salt marsh microbes. First generation and students that are under-represented in science strongly encouraged to apply. Contact Jennifer Bowen for more information.
- Imperial College London: President’s PhD Scholarships, 2019-20 academic year. If you are a high performing undergraduate or Master's student and have a strong desire to undertake a PhD programme at a world class research institution, you could be selected to receive full tuition fees and a generous stipend for a PhD place at Imperial College London. The President’s PhD Scholarships aims to provide up to 50 research students with great potential the opportunity to work within their chosen research field with the support of an excellent supervisor.
- Pathways to Science summer research listings
- NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU): Division of Ocean Sciences
- MSc and PhD Positions in Marine Biogeochemistry, Oceanography and Climate at Dalhousie University. The Departments of Earth Sciences and Oceanography at Dalhousie University seek candidates for multiple, fully funded MSc and PhD projects on long-term climate impacts to the marine environment and fisheries ecology of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Potential projects range from late Holocene paleoceanographic reconstructions of temperature, nutrient cycling and fish abundance; analysis of historical marine climate variability; and predictive climate-biogeochemical-ecosystem modeling.These positions leverage significant investments in ocean science at Dalhousie through the recently established Ocean Frontier Institute. Students will have access to state-of-the-art analytical laboratories and high-performance computing, opportunities to participate in research cruises to the Northwest Atlantic, and exposure to internationally recognized expertise in marine science. Projects will have a significant outreach, education and advocacy component through interaction with government and NGO end-users. Prospective candidates should have completed an undergraduate degree (for MSc candidates) or masters degree or equivalent (for PhD candidates) with a minimum “A minus” average (GPA of 3.7 on a 4.3 scale). To apply, please send a cover letter, curriculum vitae and academic transcripts to any of the following prospective supervisors:
Dr. Markus Kienast; Paleoceanography; markus.kienast@dal.ca
Dr. Owen Sherwood; Isotope Biogeochemistry; owen.sherwood@dal.ca
Dr. Eric Oliver; Physical Oceanography; eric.oliver@dal.ca
Dr. Katja Fennel; Modeling; katja.fennel@dal.ca
