I can’t believe it has been two weeks since I started my Naural Talent Marine Zooplankton apprenticeship! I have already learnt so much and met so many new people. My placement is with the Marine Ecology staff at SEPA Edinburgh studying marine zooplankton. Zooplankton are hugely diverse, varying from microscopic copepods like this Cetropages hermatus to jellyfish that can reach up to 2 metres.
SEPA have only recently started sampling zooplankton. They already study phytoplankton (microscopic plants) in accordance with the European Water Framework Directive but a new piece of legislation coming into effect in 2020 (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) will require zooplankton to be monitored too. This is because zooplankton feed on phytoplankton and could also be a useful indicator of climate change.
During my apprenticeship I will be helping the group responsible for setting up the new zooplankton monitoring protocol as well as doing a project looking at zooplankton in the Firth of Clyde.
My first week was mostly getting to know the people I will be working with at SEPA and learning how to ID some of the 200+ species that are regularly found in samples. I also had an induction at the TCV office in Stirling with fellow new apprentice Lawrence. It was great meeting the all the staff as well as Natural Community trainees and finding out about their work. I also took part in a Risk Assessment training course which was definitely not as boring as it sounds, again meeting lots of Natural Community trainees especially Amy Telford who I was at Aberdeen University with!
Yesterday I was in Oban with my new collegue Rosie Foster taking part in a Jellyfish ID course at the SAMS (Scottish Association for Marine Science). This was a great introduction to jellyfish ID and I definitely learnt a lot and will hopefully be more confidant when we start to get large numbers of jellyfish in samples during the Summer like this Rathkea punctata which only reaches about 3mm even when an adult.
Next week I be doing my 3rd course in as many weeks! I am doing the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) personal survival techniques course which means I will be able to start going along on boat surveys to collect samples soon.