The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) Education Team organized a one-hour
guided tour through the Ocean Discovery Centre at BUEI, inviting schools to participate and
explore the World Oceans Day theme for this year, “Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing.”
Over 250 students and educators from various local schools visited BUEI on June 8th and 9th to
celebrate World Oceans Day. Participating schools included Victor Scott Primary, Bermuda High
School, Paget Primary, West End Primary, Bermuda Homeschool Network, Harrington Sound
Primary, Somerset Primary, Purvis Primary, Warwick Academy, West Pembroke Primary,
Prospect Preschool, and Francis Patton Primary.
The students and educators began their World Oceans Day experience in the Bermuda Revealed
exhibit, learning about Bermuda’s geological history and the impact of coral reef systems on the
island’s unique structure. They were then guided through the Seagrass Restoration Project
exhibit, which highlighted the essential role of seagrass meadows in maintaining a healthy marine
ecosystem and the challenges posed by green turtle grazing. Hands-on activities included the
Shell Gallery & Ocean Acidification Experience in the Jack Lightbourne exhibit, featuring one of
the world’s largest private shell collections, and a bioluminescent creature hunt using ultraviolet
flashlights in the Deep Gallery to create a glow-in-the-dark display.
Some schools had the opportunity to attend a special presentation by the Nonsuch Expeditions
team on the “Message in a Bottle” project, which tracked the movement of seafaring debris using
GPS technology. Students participated in a plastic tracking investigation in the Living with the
Oceans exhibit, examining fish and lobster pot tags from the northeastern seaboard and tracing
their path on the North Atlantic gyre before reaching Bermuda’s beaches.
Within the Living with the Oceans exhibit, Youth Climate Summit participants raised awareness
about the importance of coral reefs as natural offshore barriers protecting the island’s shoreline
from erosion and property damage. The exhibit featured upcycled art, utilizing materials such as
bottle caps, pool noodles, bottles, and straws, providing a valuable lesson on reducing plastic
waste.
Each tour concluded with an Eco-Schools Showcase, where visiting students celebrated the
sustainable work carried out by their student-led Eco-Clubs at their respective schools. BUEI
serves as the national operator of the Eco-Schools programme in Bermuda, one of 73 countries
promoting this action-based sustainable schools programme. This year, eighteen schools from
across the island were recognized for their sustainability projects, ranging from school gardens
to waste and litter minimization.
Click HERE to view this year’s World Oceans Day Celebrations at BUEI and visit the Join & Support page to discover how you get involved next year!