Research and Education: Bahamas Marine EcoCentre focuses on marine science education and research and promotes scientific and artistic activities that foster environmental stewardship. In 2023, activities were focused in three geographic areas: Bahamas, Western Australia, and Northern Chile. Research on gypsum depositional system in lagoons in the Atacama Desert, which initiated as a consulting service in 2017, became a funded research project in 2018. Supported by the Chilean mining company, SQM, BME is investigating the role of microbes in sedimentation in the desert lagoon systems.