And thus, the project begins!

 I met with my supervisor (the captain), Josie South, in the aquatics labs with the rest of her crew. The wet lab is, well, wet. A small, crowded room with intelligent and eager minds buzzing around. I met my crayfish companions (more on that in later posts), then we went for coffee to discuss each of our projects. 

 As it turns out, the mussels were not immediately ready to work with, and so I was immediately promoted to second mate of a Master's student working with invasive crayfish species. It is actually quite the blessing to be working with someone who knows what they are doing to begin with, as my own degree course could not be further from ecology!

 It has been quite the learning curve to shift how I function in a lab. I am used to sterile surfaces, lab coats and minuscule volumes. This lab is lively, WET (so so wet) and hands-on. I have learnt a lot about lab animal management in the labs, and also had the opportunity to read up on invasive species sciences, not knowing the true gravity of the problem we face. I feel honoured to contribute to this field of study.

 Having now worked in the lab for a week, I am being handed the responsibility of my own project in week two. In moments of overwhelm, I feel as though I have been thrown over board, but I know that I am capable and that I have plenty of support around me.

 I am also excited to get stuck in with the namesake of my project - the mussels! 

Overall, this first week has filled me with great joys and deep gratitude. I am working on something that I truly care about, and becoming more sure that I want to pursue a career as a scientist. And what more, in aquatic/marine biology! A field that is notoriously hard to get a foot in, and that has little to do with my current degree. It just goes to show that you should never shy away from talking about your interests, because you never know who is listening and the opportunities they may offer you.