I chose my professional practice based not just on the project description, but also on the supervisor. I saw that we shared a lot of interests, including oyster reef restoration, historical ecology, and the potential for aquaculture to harness the ecosystem services of certain species to increase environmental sustainability. Dr. Fariñas-Franco helped me come up with a work plan that spanned two different ongoing research projects and tours of a few different aquaculture facilities on the west coast of Ireland. He helped me to make the most of the professional practice experience and build connections in the field of aquaculture research.