Ten students worked alongside scientists and mentors this summer on research programmes across the ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences.

It came as the institute’s Bermuda Programme marked 50 years in action, delivering hands-on experience in oceanographic and atmospheric research to more than 320 Bermudian students aged 18 and older since 1976.

The work this year included marine fungi investigations, underwater video and technology design, sediment trapping, microplastics detection, coral ecology studies and hurricane development analysis.

Gray Swan, 20, a third-time intern studying mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky in the US, worked with Tim Noyes on adaptive marine monitoring technologies.

Meanwhile first-time intern Charlotte Slayton, 21, pursuing wildlife biology and conservation at the University of Guelph in Canada, worked with Hossein Masigol studying fungi at the sea-air interface.

The latter topic was also pursued by Guyen Bean, 19, a first-time intern also with Dr Masigol and a theology student with a minor in chemistry at Andrews University, Michigan in the US.

Second-time intern Noah Astwood, 19, an incoming biology student at Sussex County Community College in the US, worked with Rachel Parsons and Dani Cox on sargassum microbiome removal methods.

Maya Kennedy, 21, a second-time intern studying environmental science at Guelph, worked with Tarik Smith, while 19-year-old Zahari Burgess, also in the programme a second time and studying nuclear engineering at Ontario Tech University in Canada, researched alongside Dr Noyes.

First-timer Laura Frith, 18, studying marine biology at Swansea University in Britain, worked with mentor Jessica Godfrey on methods for monitoring marine fungi.

Fifth-time intern Shavon Nisbett, 21, a marine biology at Nova Southeastern University in the US, researched microplastic distribution in the North Atlantic Gyre with Ms Parsons and Rod Johnson.

Two more first-timers were enrolled, both science students at Bermuda College: Sanjay Fox-Romaine, 19, worked with Mark Guishard researching climate controls on major hurricane impacts affecting Bermuda, and De’Asia Symonds, 22, explored heat stress responses of brain coral with mentor by Yvonne Sawall.