Bermuda residents and visitors are familiar with the sight of the R/V Weatherbird II
at BBSR's dock or steaming off south shore to key research sites in the Sargasso Sea. But, as often as not, the Weatherbird is out of sight, conducting work at the Hydrostation "S" and Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study
sites 15 and 50 nautical miles from Bermuda, respectively. Together, these programs conducted on board the Weatherbird
represent by far the largest share of BBSR research and education programs – indeed, the very heart of BBSR's mission.To provide you with a glimpse of this work, this fall we've attempted to bring the
daily life of the Weatherbird scientists and crew closer to home through a series of events and, now, this special issue of Currents. On September 7th, we held tours and equipment
demonstrations on board the Weatherbird. This was followed by a companion lecture to this issue of Currents
on September 12th by BBSR scientist Dr. Mike Lomas. The lecture included a live report from the Weatherbird, steaming to the Oceanic Flux Program research site, by Dr. Maureen Conte of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The Oceanic Flux Program will celebrate its 25th anniversary
next year, and I am delighted that Maureen is a contributor to this issue. A November 7th lecture by another new BBSR scientist, Dr. Peter Sedwick, highlights again the global significance of research
conducted off Bermuda.As we prepared this special issue, BBSR learned of the deaths of two individuals who have played important roles in BBSR's history and the long-term research now conducted on the
Weatherbird: Dr. William Sutcliffe and Mrs. Nancy Riker. Dr. Sutcliffe, director of BBSR from 1953 to 1969, is perhaps best remembered at BBSR for his key role in the establishment of Hydrostation "S" in
1954 along with Dr. Hank Stommel of Woods Hole. Hydrostation is considered the longest continuous, year-round collection of measurements from any one point in the open ocean. Drs. Stommel and Sutcliffe
have left an important legacy to the world of science. As concern increases about global climate change, the long time series of temperature and other measurements at Hydrostation, BATS and the Oceanic Flux
Program become more and more significant. With each year of additional data and interpretation, we understand more about both natural cycles in the ocean and the impact of humans upon it. Much of
this research is conducted by scientists coming to Bermuda for brief research stays, using Bermuda's ideal mid-ocean location as a platform for deep-ocean research rather than steaming all the way from the
East Coast beyond the continental shelf. Among former trustee Nancy Riker's many contributions to BBSR was the establishment of an endowed fund to provide grants for such scientists. Nancy and her late
husband, Sam, were dedicated trustees over a period of several decades and, like the Weatherbird, were truly at the heart of this institution. I look forward to celebrating the contributions
of such individuals – both to Bermuda and the world of science – in 2003 as BBSR celebrates its centennial. Among the many activities
on the calendar is a black-tie gala fundraising dinner/dance on March 29th, 2003 featuring Dr. Robert Ballard, the founder of the JASON Project, which has helped educate thousands of Bermudian schoolchildren over the past decade. Thanks
to sponsorship by Cable & Wireless, this program celebrates
its 10th year in Bermuda in 2003. And, at BBSR's reunion on August 23rd, 2003, I look forward to welcoming back to BBSR many of the scientists, students, staff and volunteers who have built this
institution over the past century and, in the process, had a profound impact on our understanding of the marine environment surrounding Bermuda. |
