BBSR 2002 Annual Report - Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences

One hundred years of marine research and education.How an independent nonprofit institution could survivethat long, let alone thrive as the Bermuda Biological Stationfor Research (BBSR) has done, is a testament to the foresightand dedication of many individuals over the last century.The vision of BBSR’s founder and first director, ProfessorEdward Laurens Mark of Harvard University, and his colleaguesis still alive today. Bermuda remains an idealmid-ocean platform for the study of the open ocean, coralreefs and other marine environments. The reasons for BBSR’sfounding are as valid today as they were in 1903.The scientific advances resulting from BBSR’s researchprograms have been considerable, with Bermuda’s inshoreand open-ocean environments now among the most thoroughlystudied in the world. Much of the credit for theseadvances goes to my two predecessors, Drs. William Sutcliffeand Wolfgang Sterrer.In the 1950s, BBSR Director William Sutcliffe workedwith Henry Stommel of the Woods Hole OceanographicInstitution to establish Hydrostation “S,” a site for samplinglong-term data 15 nautical miles southeast of Bermuda.Hydrostation is now considered the world’s longest-runningyear-round time-series program of the open ocean. Theprogram helped establish BBSR’s reputation as an internationallyrenowned marine science institution and as a leadingsource for understanding the ocean’s role in global climatechange.Dr. Sutcliffe was succeeded in 1969 by my predecessor,Wolfgang Sterrer, who, over the following 16 years, developed2FROM THE HELMCelebrating a Century of Marine ScienceBBSR into an indispensable source of expertise aboutBermuda’s inshore coral reef and mangrove environments.While Bermuda is fortunate to have a relatively pristinemarine environment, which enhances the quality of life forBermudians and visitors alike, this remains a “delicatebalance,” to borrow the title of an important book written bySterrer and his colleagues at the time. Research by countlessBBSR scientists and students has provided important informationto help the Bermuda Government make moreinformed decisions and has heightened the awareness of thegeneral public, helping to ensure Bermuda’s unique underwaterbeauty is protected.Much of BBSR’s success is attributable to the vision of itsBoard of Trustees. One example of the board’s long-termvision serves as the launching point for this year’s AnnualReport. In November 1987, the board, led by then-PresidentDr. James Butler, organized a workshop to prepare a strategicplan for the institution. The workshop’s ambitious goal: tooutline a plan for research and education to be implementedin the 15 years leading up to BBSR’s 100 th birthday celebrationsin 2003.“BBSR has several characteristics that make it an excellent,if not unique, locality for the performance of research inthe marine environment,” wrote Dr. Butler in a summary ofthe workshop proceedings. The workshop focused on fourareas in which the board believed BBSR, because of its idealmid-ocean location, showed particular promise for researchand education. Thanks to the commitment of both board andstaff, BBSR has exceeded all of those expectations.