Research Internship Testimonial | Ian Russell Da Silva | University of Leicester

The previous year I had visited Gibraltar during my April break from university. I had found that Gibraltar’s safe, small area, and proximity to the United Kingdom would be an opportunistic place to either find summer work or experience, rather than going back to my home country of Bermuda. After some online research I found the University of Gibraltar’s Summer Research Internship on their website. Not only has the internship given me practical experience in marine biology, but I have also been able to conduct experimental research and use it in collaboration with my home institution, the University of Leicester, to discuss my findings in my third-year dissertation.

Utilizing BRUVs (Baited Remove Underwater Video), I conducted research and gathered data based on the richness of certain fish species and an analysis of their populations compared to their size structure. I gathered data from Gibraltar’s Marine Conservation Zone, Europa Reef, and Rosia Bay. The basis of my research would include counting the quantities of each species of fish and using the ImageJ software to measure the length of each fish. The length of each fish can tell us the age of a fish; from there we can determine the average age of the species of fish’s population. This should act as an indicator of the population’s overall health and survivability.

During my time here, I have learnt how to conduct underwater field research using BRUVs. While using Biigle, a software used to identify species presented in video or photo format, I reinforced my ability to correctly identify a variety of fish species. Other software, such as Microsoft Excel and ImageJ, was utilised which aided in the collection and organisation of raw data. I would also get the opportunity to grow in my abilities to operate in a group and communicate my findings with an audience, as was done during my BRUV deployments and a presentation of my research, respectively.

After the completion of my BSc Biological Sciences with the University of Leicester this coming school year, I would like to enrol myself into a BA Politics and International Relations at one of the many renowned universities in the United Kingdom or Mainland Europe. With successful completion of both degrees, I would like to seek a career in government, politics, and policy making, specialising in environmental policy. I believe that the combination of both these degrees will enhance my ability to perform and my understanding when it comes to political environmental discussions. I am also certain that the University of Gibraltar’s internship has reinforced my abilities to tackle social environmental issues by introducing a new level of understanding when it comes to conducting practical, ecological field research, and the processes of how scientific institutions can present research to government bodies as a means of solving problems.