Research Internship Testimonial | Charlie Phillipson

Throughout my life, I haven’t had much of a chance to go abroad from the UK. The opportunity to pursue research in a brand-new location far away from home in an area with such abundant marine biodiversity was thrilling. It gave me a chance to gain experience in my chosen research interests and push me out of my comfort zone at the same time. The internship offered valuable skills for me to learn and to do meaningful work for UniGib and the Marine Monitoring programme.

I carried out several areas of research during my internship. The first was the assessment of Gorgonian coral health using the digital imagery software BIIGLE. I observed images of several species of corals taken from the wreck SS Rosslyn to quantify their health. This included observing and identifying invasive algal species and their epibiosis rates on the gorgonians. I also looked at another type of coral called Astroides calycularis. A cup coral that is present around the Gibraltar peninsula. Using video footage, I quantified the sizes of different cup corals using a method designed as a standardised approach to Astroides observation.

I also carried out research on fish biodiversity and marine litter on Europa Reef. This involved deploying BRUVs or Baited Remote Underwater Videos on and around the reef to collect video data to calculate fish abundance. This was then analysed to identify fish species and locate marine litter around the reef. Using the BRUVs data I was able to display some of the species present around Europa reef as well as show the presence of marine litter in several areas.

Lastly, I conducted research on the invertebrate species in one of the Marinas in Gibraltar. Using previously collected scrape samples from the walls of the Mid-harbour Small Boats Marina the aim was to find invasive caprellid species, a type of amphipod. In the lab, the samples were sorted through and analysed using microscopes to identify different species of invertebrates alongside the caprellids.

During my internship, I picked up a range of skills from numerous different areas. In terms of research skills, I gained knowledge on how to use the digital analysis software BIIGLE for both video and image annotation. I learnt how to identify multiple marine species and methods of how to identify species quicker through practice. Partway through my internship I created and presented a research poster on my work with the gorgonians to the SoMES Masters students. This improved my current presentation skills and taught me how to create research-grade posters for scientific conferences. Throughout my internship, I gained both written and spoken communication skills which I aim to use to improve my future work while finishing my degree at my home university.

I aim to pursue a career in either marine invertebrate research or marine conservation. Whether in the UK or elsewhere I want to discover new aspects of marine invertebrate biology and increase the level of knowledge the public has about them, hopefully leading to protections where necessary. I also want to contribute to the protection of our ocean as, during my internship, I learnt about many of the dangers that the Mediterranean Sea is facing. This has inspired me to look into a career in the marine conservation sector particularly in invasive species management.

COMMENTS FROM HEAD OF SCHOOL