Duration of Internship: April 2021 – June 2021
Qualifications
B.Sc. Marine Biology and Oceanography, University of Plymouth (2018 – 2022)
Lucy carried out a placement year as a part of her degree with University of Plymouth in the UK. This was the second of two internships she completed as a part of her placement year, she also spent 3 months of this year assisting with DMSP research at Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Her second placement as a part of this year was with Marine Environmental Research Lab (MER) in Cyprus.
During her time at MER, Lucy assisted with several projects. Much of her time was spent in the laboratory, participating in the processing of benthic macrofaunal samples which involved separating and sorting marine organisms into their respective phyla. Additionally, Lucy assisted with other lab processes such as species identification and morphometrically analysing Posidonia oceanica samples. Some of the field research Lucy participated in included Posidonia oceanica shoot counts, turtle observation, marine biodiversity photography of artificial reef structures; each of these experiences enhanced her field skills and were greatly enriching. She also participated in a lionfish removal event as a part of the RELIONMED project, which took place at Zenobia pwreck in Larnaca.
This internship enabled Lucy to develop her laboratory and field skills as well as improve her scientific writing. Most notably, this internship allowed her to work collaboratively with interns and scientists from a range of diverse research backgrounds. Following the completion of her undergraduate she wishes to pursue a career in marine environmental sector, with work involving research and/or consultancy.
Lucy has stated that she is greatly appreciative to MER for the experience that she was able to gain and the wonderful people she worked with during her internship.