And just like that the 2022 field season is done!

I can't believe I have finished 6 weeks of fieldwork. It seems like just yesterday I was getting on the plane to fly out to the Caribbean.

A coral rubble site that was surveyed

I had a really successful field season, completing 30 scientific dives collecting data over 10 days. I have collected 90 bags of rubble (and the animals that live in the rubble), 88 water samples for environmental DNA (eDNA) and around 30 hours of stationary videos. The rubble has all been measured and imaged. The specimens in the rubble were carefully picked out, imaged and preserved to be returned to Aberdeen for the genetic analysis. The water samples were filtered to collect and DNA fragments in the water. These filters will also be analysed and hopefully will give us more information about what animals live in the rubble. The videos are primarily for fish abundance, so they will be watched over the coming months and a list of fish species present will be recorded.

Whilst in the field I filmed the different stages of my data collection and with the help of a fantastic intern we made a video!

I have collected over 1100 specimens including crabs, chitons, fish, worms, snails, shrimps, sponges, and brittle stars. These organisms will now be identified and then sent for genetic analysis. We will get a DNA barcode for each specimen which will add essential data to the global database, allowing other researchers to conduct research.

Images from the field. From top left: first day showing all the equipment I need to take on the boat; enjoyin the Caribbean weather; the note on Maddie (the current meter I was lent by Valeport) to explain what she was doing in case members of the public came across her; Maddie doing science; Cory in his "submarine" helping me on a dive; maddie deployed at a dive site, she was left for a minimum of 48 hours to collected current data over a number of tide cycles.