Recent News
Reef Watch Event Postponed Due To KarlWednesday, September 21, 2016
The Bermuda Zoological Society has announced that due to the possibility of Karl impacting Bermuda over the weekend, the Reef Watch event will be postponed until Saturday, 8th October.
New study of parrotfish
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Bermuda’s healthy population of parrotfish, colourful reef grazers that have all but vanished in many islands, are under new study.
‘Reef Watch’ calls for participants
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
The Bermuda Zoological Society is looking for teams of researchers to help survey coral reefs around the island.
Trip ‘of a lifetime’ to Madagascar
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
A group of budding Bermudian conservationists have enjoyed the “trip of a lifetime” to the rural communities and rainforests of Madagascar.
BZS: Help Raise Funds For Reef Conservation
Tuesday, September 06, 2016
For a fourth consecutive year, the Bermuda Zoological Society [BZS] is heading out on the water with its team of citizen scientists to survey coral reefs around the island as a part of the annual BZS REEF Watch, with the excursion taking place with the support of lead sponsor HISCOX.
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All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
Students have been able to participate virtually in a programme teaching them about ocean conservation and how to be confident in the water.
Thanks to sponsorship from AXA XL, part of the Kids on the Reef programme for students attending public middle schools was able to take place online.
The Bermuda Zoological Society programme usually takes place over two days at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo and includes confined water and open water free-diving instruction, and classroom teaching.
During lockdown last spring owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers created a way to deliver content to students virtually.
Educators used video lessons, Zoom classes and pre-recorded instructional videos when conducting their online spring camp.
Alex Amat, BZS educator and Beth Neale, programme coordinator, used the same tactics to bring part of the programme to eight public school classes from Dellwood, Clearwater and Sandys, which included 120 students.
Dr Amat and Ms Neal used Zoom classes to teach the students breathing techniques, free-diving theory and stretches, and included lectures on ocean conservation to reinforce the students’ school curriculum.
They also produced instructional breathing class videos and video lectures for those unable to attend via Zoom.
Students still needed to complete the confined water and open water free-diving instructional portion of the programme.
In the fall of 2020, the relaxed government restrictions for Covid-19 enabled the programme coordinators to provide the in-water opportunity to 85 students from Dellwood Middle School, many of whom had previously completed the class components virtually.
For those students who had been unable to complete the virtual component in the spring, they were able to complete all segments of the programme on site at BAMZ.
Dr Amat said: “Meeting the students online allowed us to keep in touch with them and make them feel they were part of something larger and more tangible. They knew the in-water component would happen in the future, which was an incentive.
“It would not have happened without the commitment of their science teachers who understood the need to be flexible and approached the programme with an open mind.
“We are really grateful to our sponsor AXA XL for believing in us to create this virtual offering and enabling us to continue sharing our ocean passion.”