Research Internship Testimonial | Jayne Peh Hin Peng

I have a deep interest in coastal research, coming from a small island facing the threats of sea level rise and biodiversity loss. As such, Gibraltar felt like the perfect place to develop transferable skills for me to use in my future career in Singapore. Not only was the internship programme customisable to suit my research interests and schedule, but also ensured that the work I produced had tangible and important results. Aside from the research aspect of the internship, Gibraltar is also a vibrant place during the summer, full of a range of activities to engage in!

During my internship, I focused on characterising the fish assemblages and sandbank environments in Eastern Beach. I used a range of equipment during my fieldwork, spanning different spatial scales, from sled tows to Baited Remote Underwater Video, drop frames to Van Veen grabs. Later, I conducted laboratory analysis through digital imagery and granulometry. Using the results from my research, I was able to generate the first series of biodiversity estimates for Eastern Beach, as well as understand the characteristics of Eastern Beach’s sandbanks better.

UniGib has placed a strong emphasis in involving me in every step of the research process. As such, I picked up a range of fieldwork, laboratory and writing skills. I also learnt how to use analytical software such as BIIGLE for video annotation, and how to source documents for species identification. I believe that while the skills themselves are inherently transferable to future lab work and writing, the soft skills I developed in the process were equally important. I also conducted a presentation, where I was able to share about my work with the SoMES MSc students. Through seminars, I learnt that whilst each researcher might focus on different aspects of environmental research, there was value in asking questions to sharpen each other’s work. This was supported by my experience at the Calpe Conference hosted in UniGib, where I learnt the importance of interdisciplinary learning and discussion.

I hope to serve in Singapore’s sustainability sector, focusing on coastal protection, marine environments and water management. While in the future, I hope to be a leader in the industry, I would first like to develop more hands-on skills, like the ones I gained through this internship at UniGib. With my time at UniGib, I have more confidence in whichever role I might be placed in. Whether a lab researcher or writer of policy papers, or placed in an interdisciplinary team to tackle water-related issues, I believe that I can learn and adapt to excel.