Two Bermudian students will take part alongside youngsters from overseas in next year's Jason Project.

Kerri-Lynne Dietz and David Bean were selected to be Argonauts out of a total of eight applicants to participate in the Project, organised locally by the Bermuda Biological Station for Research, next April.

Founded by famous explorer and scientist Dr. Robert Ballard, this is the 11th venture of its kind.

Previous Jason Projects have taken place in locations such as Central America, Iceland and Hawaii.

The two youngsters, both aged 14, will travel to next year's sites in Houston, Texas and Key Largo, Florida to take part in numerous experiments and expeditions involving the different fields of science.

Joining them will be nearly 30 students from all over the world, including countries such as the US, Mexico, Australia and the UK.

Mount Saint Agnes Academy student Kerri-Lynne will go to the NASA-Johnson Space Centre in Houston to learn about the International Space Station and what the astronauts have to do to prepare themselves for life in space.

When asked how she became interested in the Jason Project, Kerri-Lynne said that she had been "captivated'' during her school's visits to previous Jason Projects at the Bermuda Biological Station.

She said: "I set myself the goal of going and that's basically it.'' Describing the process of selection as "nerve racking'', Kerri-Lynne said due to her keenness for marine biology she had hoped to go to the Florida site.

She was still "really happy'' to be chosen, however.

David, who attends CedarBridge Academy, will travel to the site in Florida to take part in numerous diving trips to the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory.

According to a Press release from the Bermuda Biological Station "Aquarius is the world's only underwater laboratory and regularly houses teams of scientists who are studying Florida's reefs''.

One of the reasons David was picked for this particular site was because of his junior certificate in S.C.U.B.A. diving.

David said: "I'm really looking forward to going. Just being there makes me happy.'' He described how he first became interested in the project, saying: "I found the Jason Project fascinating when we visited in junior school.'' "I'm really happy to be picked,'' he added.

Education officer for the Biological Station Helle Patterson said the students had to go through hours of essay writing and interviews before being short listed and finally selected.

She called the successful applicants the "creme de la creme'' of Bermuda's young people. Mrs. Patterson said: "There are a total of 28 students going from all over the world and they will be spread out between the two locations, though there will be fewer in Florida than in Houston.'' The students were accompanied at a Press conference yesterday by their respective teachers, principal of Mount Saint Agnes Academy Sister Judith Marie Rollo and vice principal of CedarBridge Academy, John Walsh.

Sister Rollo said she was "delighted'' that Kerri-Lynne had been chosen while Mr. Walsh said it was "something we at CedarBridge should all be very proud of''. Cable and Wireless Bermuda Ltd. is sponsoring the local end of the Project and general manager Eddie Saints said he was "very pleased to see that there will be two students from Bermuda attending''.

He added: "Right from the start of our involvement...we recognised the importance it had on the development and exposure of Bermuda students to the field of science and technology.''