As I pass the halfway point of the summer research period of the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in some exciting hands-on work. Much of the last few weeks have been spent in the secure zone of the Scottish Oceans Institute, helping prepare the pool facility for the eventual arrival of seals.
Setting up the seal pool has involved several key tasks, one of which included mounting the cameras that will ultimately be used to monitor the seals during the experiment. Ensuring that these cameras were positioned correctly, in particular by testing the angles to obtain the best possible footage while minimizing the effects of glare, is a crucial element of the data collection process.
Among the most technical and challenging aspects of the preparation process, however, has been building the apparatus to generate pulsed electric fields underwater. While the team at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) had a low-voltage pulse generator from a previous experiment, this had not been removed from storage for 13 years. Accordingly, a considerable amount of time has been spent replacing the components that have corroded or are otherwise failing, such as replacing the electrodes and installing a new battery. Adapting the apparatus to my experiment has likewise been quite time-consuming, with extensive energy being expended to truly seal-proof the equipment being used – such as building a caged enclosure to protect the electrodes and adding bite-proof covers to the cables. Although challenging, these tasks have also been singularly engaging, as they have required both creativity and careful attention to detail to meet the necessary ethical standards while maintaining the system’s functionality.
Beyond the hands-on work at the pool facility, I have also been familiarizing myself with the software and statistical tests that I will be using to analyze my data. It has been a steep learning curve, especially since most analytical software in biology is not particularly user-friendly, but after many tens of hours I am feeling quite confident and comfortable with it.
Although the pace has been relatively relaxed so far, it is about to be stepped up several notches. The seals finally arrived last week, and – after the short acclimation period ends – I anticipate the coming weeks to be a whirlwind of baseline data collection, seal husbandry, and experimental procedures.
In short, the research experience so far has been invaluable, helping me develop my technical and interpersonal skills, while further refining my ability to effectively respond to challenges. As the project progresses, I’m excited to dive deeper into the experimental phase and see the data come to life!
Walking home from the SOI
References
Cover Photo: Taken from Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews. Available at: https://www.smru.st-andrews.ac.uk/pool/index.html