Nicknamed the 'Pogonians', the first students at the POGO Centre of Excellence are already making waves at BIOS.

The ten scholars have already impressed their peers with their enthusiasm for oceanography and are quickly becoming part of the BIOS 'family'.

The students were whittled down from 69 applicants from developing countries around the world, where they are employed by universities or National Institutes.

All are MSc or PhD-educated and many have prior experience in environmental monitoring, modelling, and the impact of climate change.

On the Centre of Excellence 'Observational Oceanography' programme, they will spend the next ten months expanding their skills and knowledge so that when they return home they will be equipped to further their own countries' observations of the marine environment.

The Nippon Foundation and POGO Centre of Excellence at BIOS aims to expand worldwide capacity to observe the oceans, to build human resources in developing countries, and to improve international networking in ocean sciences – with an emphasis on the Southern Hemisphere.

The students's subjects will include satellite oceanography, ocean physics, geochemistry, biology, ocean-atmosphere interactions, microbial communities, and deep-sea moorings.

They will learn from BIOS's ocean, atmospheric and near-shore observational programmes, such as the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series, and also spend a considerable amount of time at sea on the R/V Bank of Bermuda Atlantic Explorer.

The students will also be encouraged to bring relevant data from their home region to analyse.

The ten scholars are:

René Ayala Campos: a Marine Biology postgraduate student from Venezuela who was working as a research assistant on the CARIACO project (Carbon Retention in a Coloured Ocean) before joining the NF-POGO CofE programme.

He believes his POGO training with equip him with "field experience, and the skills in handling the equipment needed to develop new and significant biological and oceanographic data".

Rene, 26, told The Royal Gazette: "The course has been fantastic and the lectures have been brilliant. I want to learn from the time-series here. BATS is one of the best time-series in the world, so this will help us back in Venezuela."

Toye Akinnigbagbe: a Geology graduate from Federal University of Technology, Akure in Nigeria, Toye also has a Master's degree in Petroleum Geology/Sedimentology from University of Ibadan.

A research first officer with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, he has investigated coastal erosion and ocean dynamics, monitored sea level rise and geological sediments, as well as the micro-fauna of the ocean water sediments.

Dr. Samina Kidwai: Samina, from Pakistan, has a PhD in Marine Biology and other degrees in related subjects from the University of Karachi and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

She is a research scientist at the National Institute of Oceanography, Pakistan. She is also a member of the National Committee of Pakistan in SCOR (Scientific Committee Ocean Research), the national working group on coastal and marine biodiversity for the UN-CBD, and the managing editor of the Pakistan Journal of Oceanography.

Tiago Queiroz: Tiago, from Angola, has experience in numerical modelling and environmental engineering, having studied at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and the Universidad Lusófona in Portugal.

His work has included using the Regional Oceanic Modelling System (ROMS) to investigate the origin, propagation and impacts of warm/cold events in the Equatorial Atlantic.

He has also been involved with climate variability projects such as the African Centre for Climate and Earth System Science (ACCESS).

Joseph Palermo: With an MS in Environmental Science from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, majoring in Environmental Biology and Quantitative Aquatic Ecology, Joseph has worked as a freelance consultant for a number of institutions including The Marine Environment and Resources Foundation.

Sebastian Kreiger: Sebastian is working on a Master of Science in Physical Oceanography at the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo in Brazil, studying wave dynamics in the Atlantic Ocean using sea surface height anomalies.

He hopes the POGO training will give him "a better understanding of the processes observed in the oceans and their interactions, especially biophysical interactions".

Nimit DJ: Nimit is from Jawarharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in India and is currently working on his PhD, investigating plankton pigments and fish catch analysis along the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat, using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Nimit, 26, told The Royal Gazette: "I'm very proud to be here. By coming here we can see how to take on oceanographic issues and learn from the experience."

Cátia Matias: Catia recently completed a Master's degree in Marine Biology at the Algarve University, Portugal.

The emphasis on global collaboration attracted her to the POGO programme.

Catia says: "It's important to apply the same methodologies all over the world so that the results can be shared without problems, enabling an accurate understanding of the ocean's functions."

Lailah Lartey-Antwi: Lailah studied Biological Oceanography at the University of Ghana and is studying for her Master of Philosophy (MPhil).

Her research interests include population dynamics, marine pollution, benthic life and intertidal research.

She hopes her POGO studies will help her to "assist in the formulation and implementation of policies regarding the protection of the marine environment in Ghana".

Houssem Smati: Houssem is from the Institut National des Sciences at Technologies do la Mer in Tunisia.

He has completed Masters degrees in Hydrodynamic and Coastal Environments Modelling and in Integrative Biology of Coastal Ecosytems.