Recent News
Siblings share a passion for animalsFriday, July 26, 2013
A passion for animals led siblings Peter and Kate Cooper to become volunteers with the Bermuda Zoological Society.
Baby 'pygmy' sperm whale found dead
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
What is believed to be a baby pygmy sperm whale was found washed up dead in the shallows off Nonsuch Island.
Kids on the Reef returns for a third year
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Dr Sterrer to give a lecture on Island’s biodiversity
Thursday, July 11, 2013
A local natural history expert will explore some of the miraculous ways that Bermuda’s plants and animals found their way to the Island, tomorrow evening at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).
Kids on the Reef returns for a third year
Monday, July 08, 2013
On the way out to North Rock the young people in the boat started to wonder why they had come. Despite having lived on an Island their whole lives, most of them had never been out of sight of land. They were nervous and spent the ride worrying about currents, sharks, the weather, and the depth of the ocean.
About
GovernanceAbout Us
Board of Directors
Contact Us
Newsletter
Latest News
Gift & Bookstore
Contact
General Inquiries
info@bzs.bm
Latest News
All the latest updates and news from the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum, and Zoo, one of Bermuda's leading visitor attractions!
By Owain Johnston-Barnes
Published May 12, 2014 at 8:00 am
Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) has officially presented its 2013 Reef Watch report to Government, containing data recently gathered on the health of the Island’s reefs.
The report is the result of the Reef Watch 2013 initiative, which brought together more than a 100 volunteers on August 31 in support of the Bermuda Reef Ecosystem Analysis and Monitoring (BREAM) programme led by chief scientist Thaddeus Murdoch.
Together the volunteers surveyed 35 reefs covering more than 500 square kilometres of the Bermuda lagoon.
A spokeswoman said that based on the data collected, Bermuda’s reefs are still in “fairly good condition,” but there were areas of concern.
The BZS is already planning Reef Watch 2014, which is set to take place on June 28. Teams can register online at www.bzs.bm.
BZS president Richard Winchell said: “Reef Watch is a unique opportunity for every one to visit and better understand our coral reefs. Everyone had fun on the day, valuable data was collected and significant funds were raised by participants and company donors to support ongoing coral reef research.
Bermuda’s reefs were found to be in a ‘fairly good condition’
by a survey last year, however, some areas of concern have
been highlighted in the Reef Watch report.
“We wish to thank the Hiscox team for adopting the Reef Watch project and making it such a success, and to Dr Murdoch for compiling and analysing the data into this insightful report on the health of Bermuda’s coral reefs.”
Hiscox CEO Jeremy Pinchin added: “It is easy in our hectic day-to-day life to forget how fragile these environments are and how quickly the action of people, whether through local or international activity, can degrade these reefs.
“The impact of damage to the reefs of Bermuda would severely impact the economy of the Island, not just as a tourist destination but also a business location. Such a loss would impact every Bermudian in a significant way.”
“Damage to the reefs can occur very quickly and it is through the work of scientists such as Dr Thad Murdoch, we can monitor and, hopefully, rectify damage to our reefs before that damage can become irreversible.”