the group of young Bermudians taking part in the Biological Station's summer science camp are voting the project a resounding success.

For the past few weeks, two groups of about 20 students have joined the Coral Camp, sponsored by the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR). The pilot programme was launched because BBSR has, in the words of education officer Mrs. Sara Bradford "been toying with doing something for the children of Bermuda for some time now. This was very much an experimental thing, to see how much interest there would be and how young people would react to this type of programme.'' Mrs. Bradford says it was felt that very little has been offered to children of this age group in the past.

Initially, application forms were sent out to Associate Member families, and to the organisers' surprise, they received more reservations than they could handle.

Its over-subscription and the enthusiastic response of children taking part, would indicate that some kind of similar project will be undertaken next year.

Coral Camp, described as a "hands-on science experience'', has been giving children between the ages of 12 and 15 the opportunity to study "one of the most important animals in Bermuda.'' This animal, according to Mrs. Bradford, is the coral, and participants in the summer vacation sessions have been able to study their exotic world both in the laboratory, and close-up in their natural undersea habitat.

BBSR Director, Dr. Tony Knap says that the objectives of the programme are to encourage Bermuda's young people to develop an understanding and wise use of marine coastal resources. It is also hoped that it will encourage Bermuda's school children to consider the marine sciences as a future career option.

These aims have been achieved through an inspired mix of fun-filled snorkelling trips around some of Bermuda's most spectacular coral reefs, illustrated lectures, films and laboratory sessions. The camp is actually a six-day camp, with the children attending three days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.

m. for two weeks.

A typical day, under the direction of Dr. Sheila McKenna, might include a talk on corals and a session round the BBSR coral tanks. There may be a chance to "feed'' corals with anemones, or use the video microscope to watch closeups of coral feeding. Afternoons are devoted to snorkelling (there is a training session on this on Day One) in various bays around the Island. They can then identify for themselves, soft corals such as sea rods, sea fans and sea feathers, and hard corals such as mustard and brain corals.

Specimens are later studied under microscopes. Each student has to do a project and they are even tested on what they have learned, but ac cording to Mrs. Bradford, this does not seem to deter their enjoyment. At the end of each camp, students are given certificates of participation.

Says 14-year old Mount St. Agnes student Sabrina Shaw: "I love underwater scenery and I've been helping out at the aquarium, so this was a real learning experience for me. We have seen the most wonderful coral and sea fans. We went swimming on the very reef where the Sea Venture foundered and saw some lovely fish -- breams and parrot fish and brain coral.'' Although Maths is her favourite subject, Sabrina says she would like to become an environmental lawyer, so this exposure to marine ecology was a definite plus for her. "But I would strongly advise anyone who gets a chance to do this camp, to seize the chance because it's a great experience,'' she says.

Also attending is 14-year old Hywel Brown from Saltus Grammar School who says: "I love science, so this is a great way of learning and enjoying yourself at the same time. We usually concentrate on talks and lab work in the mornings and go off doing swimming and stuff in the afternoons.'' Mrs. Bradford says she is gratified by the response. Noting that for most of the children, the Coral Camp represents a totally new way of looking at science, Mrs. Bradford voices the belief that the BBSR approach could become a model of what middle-school science could be like.

As a biology teacher in her native Maine until she came here with her husband in 1991, Mrs. Bradford says she has been intrigued to note that Bermuda's primary school-age children have better memory skills than their counterparts in the US.

She thinks that one of the reasons why Bermudian students seem to deteriorate in secondary schooling is because "they have to deal with the highly structured setting of senior school just as they enter adoles cence and all those problems of raging hormones. Kids who can't cope with all this, often just give up. I think the argument for middle schools is that the teaching is more `hands-on' and exploratory. Teachers will try to generate interest in different topics -- rather as we are attempting to do with the Coral Camp.'' Mrs. Bradford has come to the conclusion that "kids are the best scientists in the world because they are so curious. One of the first words a child learns is `why'? That's the sort of curiosity that we have been trying to arouse in our Camp, encouraging Bermudian children to find out what is going on in the sea around them and why it is important that we take care of our natural environment.'' CORAL CAMPERS -- Students received certificates of participation at the end of the Bermuda Biological Station's first Coral Camp.