Preschool and primary school students learnt about the importance of marine conservation at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute last week.

To celebrate World Ocean Day, BUEI guided more than 250 students from 12 schools on an hour-long tour at the facility’s Discovery Centre.

Held every June 8 since 1992, World Ocean Day encourages people to protect the planet’s seas. This year’s theme was “Planet ocean — Tides are Changing”.

The tour began by teaching children about Bermuda’s geological history and how coral reefs have impacted the island’s structure.

Students then learnt about the importance of seagrass beds and the challenges green turtles present to them.

They also walked through BUEI’s shell exhibit, featuring one of the world’s largest private collections, and later made their own glow-in-the-dark displays in the deep gallery using flashlights.

Some students also heard from staff from Nonsuch Island, who talked about the message in a bottle project, which tracks ocean debris using GPS technology.

A BUEI spokeswoman said: “Students participated in a plastic-tracking investigation in the Living with the Oceans exhibit, examining fish and lobster pot tags from the northeastern seaboard and tracing their path on the North Atlantic gyre before reaching Bermuda's beaches.”

The tour ended with children highlighting environmental projects done at their respective schools through student-led clubs.

The spokeswoman added: “This year, 18 schools from across the island were recognised for their sustainability projects, ranging from school gardens to waste and litter minimisation.”

• To learn more about Bermuda’s World Ocean Day initiatives, visit buei.bm