My project

The aim of my project was to create kelp habitat maps using historical remote sensing satellite date.

I was lucky enough to have a great mentor, Chris Yesson, and an amazing IMBRsea colleague, Oona  Bienentreu, who helped me immensely along the way. It certainly was smooth sailing and it took a lot of creating thinking, brainstorming and trouble shooting to get the job done, especially when I encountered numerous software installation and processing glitches. Try to check out Oona's website, to see how she used remote sensing to assess coral in Madagascar.

Throughout the duration of my project, I generated a sizeable proportion of historical ground-truthing data regarding the historical distribution of kelp along the West Sussex coast. Much of what is known about the past distribution of kelp within this area is based on anecdotal information from local residents and fisherman. 

With the recent passing of the bylaw banning trawling within the area, kelp forests now have a real chance of being recultivated. As such the ability to identify and map historical kelp distributions using remote sensing data, would allow for informed conservations and restoration decisions going forward. Through the process of finding appropriate images as well as associated ground-truthing data, such as tide, weather, and species observational point data at the time each image was taken, I was able to compile a sizeable proportion of previously unavailable data resources. These together with the processed image files and species habitat maps I was able to produce will serve as a valuable source of information for future studies related to the restoration of these invaluable habitats. 

In fact, I had the opportunity to attend the Sussex Kelp Strategic Stakeholder Meeting and share my results with the various stakeholders. This is very much in line with the objectives of the institution.

One of the tremendous benefits of completing my professional practice with the IOZ, was the range of different lectures, seminars, and lab meetings which I was able to attend. Many of these were outside the marine biology field, exposing me to the vast breadth of scientific research being done not only at the institution, as well as independent of it. This gave me the opportunity to interact with an extensive range of specialist from different disciplines and served as an inspiration to the possibilities for my own future research or collaboration possibilities. As scientist we don’t work in a bubble and it is essential that we keep ourselves abreast of the diversity of work being accomplished within our own backyards, as well as across the globe.

The remote nature of my project helped to highlight for me the fact that I am someone who much prefers to work alongside others within the same space. I always imagined that working remotely wouldn’t be as isolating as it in fact was, and although the skills I have gained in finding innovate ways to work around this will stand me in excellent stead in my future career, it is certainly not something I would choose again in a hurry. The camaraderie and teamwork I fostered, particularly with my fellow IMBRSea colleague Oona, brought to light the realisation that I enjoy working as part of a team and this type of mutually beneficial and respectful relationship is definitely one which I will aim to create in my future career.

Moreover, my experience illuminated my desire to incorporate some form of teaching into my future career. The ability to communicate my own knowledge base so as to hopefully enrich another’s experience is something is a privilege, and one which I very much hope I have the great responsibility to accomplish in my future career. One of the main objectives of science is discovery of the truth and it is only through sharing our experiences, failures, and achievements that we can grow as a community.