The Bermuda Biological Station (BBSR) played host to 15 summer students from ten countries to study the Island's coral reefs earlier this month.

The course ran for three weeks and concluded last Friday.

Many of the students spoke of how healthy the Island's reefs appeared and how they wanted to implement Bermuda safeguards in their own countries.

The course was called the Coral Reef Ecological Course and the credits gained count towards students' final degrees.

The students came from England, Canada, Dominican Republic, Cuba, United States, Germany, Israel, Jamaica, Portugal and Bermuda.

Diorys Perez, 35, from the Dominican Republic, who is studying at the University of the West Indies' Cave Hill campus in Barbados said: "I only wish that the course was longer and I am sad because I am leaving.

"In Bermuda there are less species than in the tropics, but I have never seen reefs in such good condition."

Ms Perez said she would like to come back to the BBSR to carry out research as part of her doctorate in Coastal Marine Resource Management.

Another visiting student, 24-year-old Dayne Buddo from Jamaica, is studying for a doctorate in Marine Biology at the University of the West Indies' Mona Camp campus in Kingston, Jamaica.

Mr. Buddo said: "The legislation implemented in Bermuda to not kill herbivores, mainly the parrot fish population, means that the coral reefs here in comparison to Jamaica and the Caribbean are far healthier.

"I would like to go back to Jamaica to see what I can do to restore our reefs."

Bermudian summer student and intern at BBSR, Neil Cattell, 23, was one of two Bermudians who went on the course.

He said: "The course is hands-on marine biology and it was pretty intensive. It helps us to understand what we are doing and why."

"I am thinking about going to medical school because I get sea sick all the time, but I hope to combine medicine with something marine related."

Mr. Cattell recently finished a Bachelor's degree majoring in Marine Biology at New York University in Manhattan.

Rodigo Del Gado, 24, from Algarve, Portugal, attended the University of Algarve to study a degree in Marine Biology.

He said: "It was a great intercultural experience learning here. The fishing regulations that have been enforced mean that the coral reefs and the invasive species are in good condition."

Mr. Del Gado plans to go to the East African country of Mozambique to do some research on the coral reefs in the Indian Ocean.