Doing a master's in Marine Biology has been a dream of mine since my days as an English literature student. Throughout the latter part of my undergrad degree I had been planning how to gain enough experience to switch paths from literature to science. Although I was very much an arty humanities person at heart, I was being pulled to the sea by a growing obsession with cetaceans. I had created my 'Marine CV’ to-do list with internships, skills, courses etc. that could edge me closer to working with cetaceans. Although I did eventually get lots of experience in the field after my degree, I still felt I needed that science foundation not only to advance my skills as a scientist and gain a broader knowledge of marine biology, but also to validate my work as a researcher.
The First Term
My year at Bangor University was intense. I was so nervous before I started. Nervous that I wouldn't be able to keep up with the level of science or deal with the demands of university after 8 years out of a student environment. Yet, I was also so excited to have finally made it and to be learning about the ocean for a whole year. The course was made up of six modules over two terms and one thesis to be completed over the third term. The first term we studied Marine Ecology Skills where I finally became properly acquainted with statistics (something I had always managed to avoid in Japan and pass on to the professors there). This module taught us how to delve deeper into marine benthic habitats, enjoying a research trip out on the university's boat to take samples from the seabed as well as of a few target species of fish whose populations are monitored annually. I got to study endless
polychaetes (marine worms) and other interesting small organisms that we had scooped up under a microscope.
Learning how to analyse data once it has been collected using statistical software was a skill I had been particularly keen to learn. In Japan I knew I had to one day face statistics and develop my own love/hate relationship with RStudio (an invaluable statistical programme) and during this module I was given my first taste. We also got to explore ArcMap, a geographic information system (GIS) software where we input deep sea coral data to make maps for a hypothetical environmental assessment assignment.
The first term also featured another fun-filled field trip as part of a more hands-on module, working in a team not on the waves but in the various coastal habitats. Our group was given the mudflats and the assignment was to design and plan a survey to assess the health of the mudflats as a hypothetical environmental consultancy group, looking at birds that depend on this habitat, water quality, salt marsh encroachment as well as the abundance of invertebrate life dwelling there. This entailed 2 days in all weathers slipping around in the mud with some excellent people, collecting various samples that we later spent hours in the lab rummaging through to find mainly tiny snails. As a researcher of large mammals, one of the most interesting things about the first term for me was learning about the smaller marine organisms, studying their life cycles and attempting to identify the many variations of tiny invertebrate species that play a significant role in ocean ecosystems. For the module that focused specifically on invertebrates, I also designed my own hypothetical lobster hatchery which gave me a new appreciation for these cool crustaceans and the work that goes into preserving and boosting wild populations that have taken a hit due to intense human activities.
The Second Term
Although stressful the first term was still manageable. The second term, however, managed to crank it up a notch. We were eased in gently with the most creative assignment where we had to make an infographic depicting important conservation information from the latest Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) SOFIA report, that summarises the state of the world’s fisheries and aquaculture. I focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the fishing industry and how the world is unfortunately not on target to meet these goals by 2030, with 36% of global fish stocks still overfished. After this artistic start we were thrown into three huge pieces of work. The fish caught from the first term fishing trip were dissected to identify the sex and examine the otoliths (a small ear bone) from which the fish's age could be determined by growth rings in the bone. Information collected on all the plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) caught was then painstakingly put together in a report looking at growth and mortality rates.
The module I had most been looking forward to the most in the second term was Marine Vertebrates, which started off with fascinating lectures about turtles, fish, seabirds as well as a day-long visit from Sea Watch Foundation founder Peter Evans to talk about cetaceans. For the assignment we had to conduct a meta-analysis, an enormously time consuming effort collating and analysing multiple pieces of research from around the world on a chosen topic to give an overall review of that topic. I focused on anthropogenic noise and its impact on odontocete (toothed whales - including dolphins) behaviour, determining disruptions in the behavioural budgets and durations of feeding and resting behaviours in particular as a result of underwater noise pollution from boats. This module also featured a delightful boat survey and land watch from the beautiful Anglesey coast to add to the annual data collection on the local harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) population. Our assignment explored linear models to understand the relationship between porpoise abundance and depth. Alongside the fisheries and vertebrates modules, time was dedicated to prepare for our thesis, creating a literature review on our thesis topic and research plan which was also given as a presentation to the class for additional feedback and was the final piece to be marked for the taught part of the course.
The Third Term - Writing my Master's thesis
With the prep work done, we had just three months to complete the data collection, analysis and the writing of our thesis. Back at the beginning of the course we had been given a book of master's projects and had to apply for our top 4 chosen projects. As there were not many cetacean projects on offer I had been anxious to, and in the end lucky to, secure my top choice studying the spatial and temporal distribution of Risso's dolphins in Isle of Man waters and how this might link with cephalopod prey availability. This project was in collaboration with Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch (MWDW) as well as the Isle of Man government's Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA). The first part of the three months involved a trip to the island to meet the team, collect the MWDW datasets and start planning how we would analyse the data. Here I also gave my thesis research plan presentation to the DEFA team. After my Isle of Man trip (followed by fieldwork in Japan - maybe not the best idea timing wise), came the data analysis struggles with habitat modelling in RStudio and trying to get more familiar with ArcGIS. Habitat modelling is a useful tool to understand which environmental factors might drive an animal to a particular area. For this project we were particularly interested  in whether octopus or
squid were a driving factor that keep Risso's dolphins coming back to the Isle of Man every year and so we mapped the areas where both cephalopod species have been found along with the dolphin distribution. I loved delving into Risso's dolphin research and was pleased with the information we managed to put together on this Risso's hotspot but the analysis for someone of my background was really tough! I made a lot of mistakes but learned a lot from my very patient and helpful supervisor. Three months of dedicating most waking moments to the same one piece of work definitely takes its toll and so I was relieved to finally perfect the final draft.
Relieved, exhausted and feeling a great sense of accomplishment I got my Master of Science. It was a very uncertain road, a plan that was first formulated in 2015 and after many years in Japan, a pandemic and a GoFundMe finally came to fruition in 2023. All the hard work paid off and I graduated with Distinction. Even more surprisingly I was awarded the Jeremy Jones Memorial Prize for ‘Best MSc student in Marine Biology’! I had gone into the master's hoping to scrape by, convinced that my humanities background would hold me back so it was amazing and baffling to have done so well.Â
What an absolutely fantastic year at Bangor University. I learned so much and met lots of wonderful people. It was the hardest I had ever worked in my life but I enjoyed every bit. Now I excitedly await the next chapter…