It's no wonder the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences (BIOS) feels like family to Warren Smith, most of it is family.

Warren works at BIOS with four generations of his family counting the grandchildren that are now tottering around.

His father Alfred works on small boats with BIOS, his daughter Heidi is a receptionist and reservations assistant, his son Jonathan paints, and his granddaughters Celine, 14 months and Naveah, three months are keen aquatic observers (they like the fish tank).

"I do maintenance and electrical plumbing work," said Warren. "I have been working here for about five years this time. I started here in 1979. I use to run the small boats. I went into business for myself for awhile and then came back."

The day that hurricane Emily hit was his last day and his father's first day.

Warren said they'd actually had some advance notice about the approaching category two storm in September 1987, because his wife Tammy worked at the American base at the time.

"When the hurricane hit, we were up here securing boats," said Warren. "BIOS, then the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) was a lot different then. The base lab wasn't there. We couldn't get out to the main road because of the damage from the hurricane."

Alfred, who has now been working for BIOS for about twenty years, said it was a lot easier getting into BIOS at the beginning of the day than it was by the end of the day.

"It was a lot easier; I'll tell you that," he said. "Trees were all over the place."

Warren initially started working for BIOS in 1979 after working with his dad for Meyer Agencies.

"They had a small tug and transportation department," said Warren. "Then this job opened and I applied for it."

When Warren decided to leave BIOS to start his own business, Alfred said he would take over temporarily.

"They needed some help," said Alfred. "I was fishing at the time and they asked me if I would fill in until they got someone. Maybe five or six months went by and they didn't get anyone. The job seemed like it was pretty good. I said, 'you might as well give me the job if you can't find anyone'. And I am still here."

Alfred said he enjoys meeting the small groups and school classes that come out to BIOS.

"You meet a lot of people," said Alfred meditatively. "I guess I do like it, I've been here all this time."

Warren and his father said they had picked up a lot of knowledge from working with marine scientists.

"I use to call the stuff on the beach seaweed," said Alfred. "Now I call it Sargasso. You pick up scientific names for things."

Warren said jokingly: "You learn to keep your mouth closed when you are swimming because there is a lot of stuff in the water."

Warren's children Heidi, 23, and Jonathan, 27, started volunteering at BIOS when they were kids.

"When I was ten or 11 years old I was the deck hand for my Papa (Alfred)," said Heidi. "I would help to tie-up and clean the boat. I would help him out on trips. I volunteered for a couple of years, and then when I got older they started paying me a little something."

Her older brother John did much the same thing. He and Heidi started working full-time at BIOS around three years ago.

"I started here in January 2005," said Jonathan. "I had done a couple of contract jobs for BIOS before that. They liked my work and they asked me to do it full time."

Both Jonathan and Heidi said they really liked the staff at BIOS.

"Everyone is friendly and real easy going," said Jonathan. " I mainly do painting, but I handle the upkeep and the grounds. Sometimes, I help out my father on different jobs."

Heidi said, "I like the interaction with the different groups," she said. "I like the staff. Everyone pretty much stays the same and you get to know everyone." Jokingly, she said, "My family come by and bore my life."

She said her job has taught her a lot about different companies also, what is taught in school curriculums in Bermuda.

"I am going to put a lot of emphasis on the marine environment when I am bringing up my kid," she said. "JP (Skinner, BIOS education officer) actually offers Waterstart and different programmes. I would really like to get my daughter involved with that when she is old enough."

Jonathan and Heidi actually live on the BIOS grounds in St. George's in staff housing.

Warren said he enjoys the the opportunity to sit in on the many lectures and films given at BIOS.

"It does give you a nice feeling to be helping with research," said Warren. "BIOS also has a wider scope that my previous jobs. In the past, working for another company, I was limited to the East End.

"The nice thing about here is that the boats go all over the island. Although I work on maintenance I do sometimes get the chance to go out with my father on plankton tows, and things like that. People are friendly and it is a nice atmosphere."