This discussion is now closed.

Check out other Related discussions

AMA: I'm a marine biologist who worked on the BBC's Blue Planet II

OP

This is so interesting - thanks for doing this. You have such a cool job.

You mentioned you're dyslexic and you've had to work through a few challenges. My best friend is dyslexic and her confidence is really low at the moment - she found out only a few months ago, having always wondered if something was wrong. She's applying to uni but really struggling right now. Did your dyslexia create any issues for you and uni?

Yes, it really was tough at times. There is better support now and she should mention that this to the uni. They likely have someone she can go and see for advice and tips and may even be able to provide support (it was a note-taker and Dictaphone in my day but course material is regularly available online now).

I often describe myself as a wobbly house of cards made of coping strategies. Look for ways of making the things she finds hard easier. I embrace technology, use text-to-speech software, constantly add locations to my phones GPS, make notes when I meet new people so I remember them. Lots of little tricks. Some people are surprised when I tell them (I think you can spot it in my writing though) and I take that as a compliment. I'm a bit of a duck, the part everyone sees is gliding along but I'm paddling like mad underneath.

The biggest hurdle is not letting the frustration get to you. It isn't fair, she will have to work harder than others but if she puts the work in it can be done. Lots of people are overcoming much worse. If she can try to accept and adapt she can do it. There are positives too! There are things she will be better at and find easy because she is dyslexic or because of the coping strategies she has learned.

There's a book called The Dyslexic Advantage. That would make a nice gift. It talks about all the positive traits it can give.

Reply 41

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by BurstingBubbles

I heard somewhere that we've only discovered a very small amount of marine species due to how vast and deep the oceans are. How do we go about finding more life in the oceans and how could more findings impact us? :smile:

Do you think we'll ever find all (or a very large portion) of it?

Almost every trip we go on, we find something new. The big driver is technology. There was this big flurry of deep-sea science from the late 1800's to the 1960's. Before that they didn't even know the sea got that deep or that anything could live at those depths. There was this amazing period of discovery, but then it felt kinda done. The funding disappeared and super deep-sea science went stagnant.

Now we suddenly have new cameras and remote technology that is letting us see these places directly. We are seeing animals alive that we only knew from a single mangled specimen in a trawl. This is a great time to be into this stuff. I think we are at the beginning of another huge surge in knowledge.

What that means for us might be quite indirect. More about how the whole planet works. 53% of the planets surface is deep-sea. That's going to have a huge effect on where carbon goes, currents and circulation, the effects of climate change. The more we know the better our models get and the clearer we can see what will happen and what we need to do.

I don't think we will ever find all of it. There is constant change. Species are probably coming into existence and going extinct without us even knowing about them. But I think we have a good idea of the trends. I think we could pick a point on the map that no one has ever been to and guess what types of animals we would find there. They might be new species, but I bet we could identify the main groups.
...but sometimes we are wrong. People think its embarrassing to be wrong (and it is!) but in science, realising you are wrong is when the really interesting stuff starts happening.

Reply 42

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by candokoala

Moving away slightly from the deep-sea fish and on the subject of humans disturbing marine life, what are your biggest concerns at the moment around threats (especially man-made threats) to particular species/the ecosystem, both in the UK and worldwide?

Have bans and limitations helped partly relieve issues like bottom trawling and overfishing, do you think?

This is a difficult one.

I try to stay positive and I think we are trying to be better all the time. I think the changes in public opinion really carry weight. I remember Hugh's Fish Fight a few years back. People had no idea what fishing was before that. There was the advertised ideal of captain Birdseye on a cute little boat pulling fish out of the sea. The fish seemed clean and dead, there wasn't blood and they weren't thrashing about, no bycatch, he would reach into the sea and pluck out food! Fish were a bit of a blind-spot on peoples radar. I think that is changing. People are deciding how and where they get their fish and public pressure is forcing change.
I really welcome limitations on destructive gear and practices. We need to protect the species from over exploitation but also their habitat at all stages of life. There are a lot of moving parts and people have to earn a living. It is a constant process of updating our understanding and adapting.

The biggest threats seem global to me. It worries me we seem to be pulling apart just now as a lot of the solutions only work if we all chip in.

Reply 43

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by Captain Haddock

What years were you at Aber? I was a fresher in 08 and remember running into a Brummie marine biology student named Tom on a few occasions. I'm terrible with faces but if you are who I think you are, congrats dude! And if you're not, well, still congrats.

Aberystwyth? I had to go and look that up on my CV. When did I get so old?! I didn't used to be old and then suddenly I'm old.

It looks like it was 2001-2004 for me. I am glad to hear there were more brummies, inspired by the canals of Birmingham, running around that little Welsh town.

If you mean Aberdeen then we may have overlapped. I was 2009-2016 but was research staff rather than a student then.

Reply 44

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by chelseadagg3r

Do you struggle eating fish because of your love for them?

I actually stopped eating fish at 14. They seemed to get a bad deal and people didn't seem to care about them. That has stuck since then and the smell of fish kinda reminds me of work now rather than food. I'm veggie now and vegan when I can be but travel makes it tough. At sea I have a 'meat holiday'. A bit morally confusing but I am careful about what I eat for environmental and ethical reasons rather than being able to say I'm part of a group. Boats will cater to dietary needs but then they need to buy in more food, I can have less impact eating what everyone else does.
As I mentioned above, I like to control my own diet. I do a lot of weight training and the sudden change from a high protein veggie diet to lower protein prepared veggie meals made me unwell. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite but it sits with my ethics.

It does trouble me that I kill fish as part of my job. I do everything I can to make it worth while. We take loads of samples for other people we are working with, take even more that we preserve for later and then we either donate the specimen to a museum or we use it for teaching. There are things we can only learn from a specimen but I try to make sure I don't become numb to killing an animal. They should be treated with respect even after death.

Reply 45

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Plastic found in the guts of animals living in the deepest seas

We had big news out of our lab today! A paper that we have been working on for a long time has finally come out. You might see it in the news over the next few days.

Basically we found plastic in the guts of animals living in the deepest places on earth. Earlier I was saying how you should always try to find the original source, below is our press release and a link to the paper which is open access (meaning it's free and anyone can read it).

Have a read through these and then watch out for what appears in the news. It will really make you aware of where things have been simplified or even twisted by some outlets. This is a great way of finding out where you should go for your science news.

Press release

Paper

Guardian newstory here

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 46

absolutelysprout

21

do you think you'll ever find fish deeper than what you've discovered so far?
how different is a life on sea/a boat?

Reply 47

Ðeggs

22

What level of qualifications do you have in marine science? Masters Degree, PhD?

Reply 48

candokoala

13

Original post by Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

This is a difficult one.

I try to stay positive and I think we are trying to be better all the time. I think the changes in public opinion really carry weight. I remember Hugh's Fish Fight a few years back. People had no idea what fishing was before that. There was the advertised ideal of captain Birdseye on a cute little boat pulling fish out of the sea. The fish seemed clean and dead, there wasn't blood and they weren't thrashing about, no bycatch, he would reach into the sea and pluck out food! Fish were a bit of a blind-spot on peoples radar. I think that is changing. People are deciding how and where they get their fish and public pressure is forcing change.
I really welcome limitations on destructive gear and practices. We need to protect the species from over exploitation but also their habitat at all stages of life. There are a lot of moving parts and people have to earn a living. It is a constant process of updating our understanding and adapting.

The biggest threats seem global to me. It worries me we seem to be pulling apart just now as a lot of the solutions only work if we all chip in.

Thanks so much, that's a great outlook/answer :smile:

Reply 49

She-Ra

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

Everyone on board is a specialist in something. It can get very weird. I have sailed with neuroscientists looking at the way's deep-sea fish process vision to learn more about our own and particle physicists who want to use a square kilometre of the Mediterranean Sea as a giant lens to look for neutrinos. You can learn a lot from them chatting over hot sauce (whatever is to hand but some pack their own favourite).

My favourite job may have been when the constant tension winch broke down. I was a winch for a day... great workout.

The food changes the longer you are out there. Fresh things vanish after a few weeks. Fruit becomes just kiwi and oranges. The galley staff have a really difficult job timing when everything is good to eat.
I miss my own cooking when I am away. I'm a bit of a health freak and I have some recipes just the way I like them.

Oh, I'll tell you something strange I do miss! Walking! Being able to walk in one direction as far as you like. You don't realise that could be something you miss.

Sounds like the galley staff have it covered :smile:

I can understand missing walking - just having the space to roam, it's a very human thing to naturally want to do.

Original post by Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

Plastic found in the guts of animals living in the deepest seas

We had big news out of our lab today! A paper that we have been working on for a long time has finally come out. You might see it in the news over the next few days.

Basically we found plastic in the guts of animals living in the deepest places on earth. Earlier I was saying how you should always try to find the original source, below is our press release and a link to the paper which is open access (meaning it's free and anyone can read it).

Have a read through these and then watch out for what appears in the news. It will really make you aware of where things have been simplified or even twisted by some outlets. This is a great way of finding out where you should go for your science news.

Press release

Paper

Guardian newstory here

This is so depressing. But needs to be shared widely so people understand the full impact.

Just wondering how do you and the crew keep pollution/ contamination/ rubbish to a minimum when you're on board/ off-shore for weeks on end?

Reply 50

TortoiseSheldon

14

Original post by Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

Plastic found in the guts of animals living in the deepest seas

We had big news out of our lab today! A paper that we have been working on for a long time has finally come out. You might see it in the news over the next few days.

Basically we found plastic in the guts of animals living in the deepest places on earth. Earlier I was saying how you should always try to find the original source, below is our press release and a link to the paper which is open access (meaning it's free and anyone can read it).

Have a read through these and then watch out for what appears in the news. It will really make you aware of where things have been simplified or even twisted by some outlets. This is a great way of finding out where you should go for your science news.

Press release

Paper

Guardian newstory here

How do you think we should tackle the problem of plastic? I've heard numerous sources say that there will be more plastic in the ocean then fish by 2050. Do we need to outright ban things like plastic bags such as some African countries have done or do you think we need to take on a different approach?

Reply 51

Kristina D

2

A question for Dr Linley:

For anybody passionate about finding a way into a job where they are either working towards conservation, environmental sustainability or working towards improving environmental issues such as the plastic issue - but who may not have relevant experience (or studies) to do so - what advice would you give them to help them down the right path?

Thank you :smile:

Reply 52

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by entertainmyfaith

do you think you'll ever find fish deeper than what you've discovered so far?
how different is a life on sea/a boat?

Probably. I think the theory that fish are limited to about 8200 m depth (due to the way they cope with pressure) will hold true. Our team has recorded the deepest fish record multiple times! But these are little steps deeper. We are now at a stage where you could get a new record just by going to where the last one was and going a metre deeper. I don't think we are unlikely to get another big jump though.

There are lots of things I could talk about being different at sea. A good one is how you get used to everything moving. When I was back in the office after spending a long time at sea I can remember putting a folder on a shelf and thinking "That's never doing to stay there, where's the bar to hold it in place?". It was strange to put something down and trust that it would stay there!

Reply 53

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by Deggs_14

What level of qualifications do you have in marine science? Masters Degree, PhD?

I have a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology, MSc in Marine Biology, MPhil in Zoology and a PhD in Marine Biology. That's quite a long list and fellow academics will recognise that as indicating that I took my time rather than that I am more capable than someone with less. To be honest, it's only the highest one that matters, people tend to gloss over how you got there. There are people who do their PhD right out of BSc.

But this is just what worked for me. Like I said in my into, I wanted to grow up a little and there were gaps working in industry in there.

Reply 54

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by She-Ra

Just wondering how do you and the crew keep pollution/ contamination/ rubbish to a minimum when you're on board/ off-shore for weeks on end?

That's a good one. All the science vessels have really good waist policies now. We separate everything and use incinerators on board. There are spill kits and rules for anything that leaks and could get into the water.
The ports really enforce this. If your waste isn't well sorted or your vessel leaks anything then you could be looking at fines.

We do what we can on our gear too. As an example, our systems need to use ballast. I find second hand metal that is of low quality and use only metal in the ballast (no plastic). So it will rust away as quickly as possible.

There is a big push against cigarette filters too, they may look like natural cotton but they are actually quite nasty. Designated smoking areas and bins are provided. Nothing is allowed to go over the side except kitchen scraps and I am seeing more vessels freeze those to unload in port.

Reply 55

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by TortoiseSheldon

How do you think we should tackle the problem of plastic? I've heard numerous sources say that there will be more plastic in the ocean then fish by 2050. Do we need to outright ban things like plastic bags such as some African countries have done or do you think we need to take on a different approach?

It's so difficult. I really don't know where to begin. I think this problem and climate change feel so big that people get overwhelmed, it feels too big to do anything! I think that the public are putting pressure on those with the power to do something about these issues and we can all do what we can in our own lives.

I am sceptical of plans to remove it. Microplastic is everywhere, that's what we were trying to show with this paper. I think we need to accept it's there and study what effect it could have. It is going to impact lots of different organisms and habitats in different ways. It's not the cool quick-fix response though.
We can all change the way we live with plastic. I am all for ditching single use. It always seemed mad that we go to all this effort to extract and refine oil and we make it into a fork that's used once! I think we can all take a hit to convenience and try to remove these things. Look at the impact charging for bags has had. People think if they need them now, they have value. I feel like I see far fewer bags blowing around and littering just in my day-to-day life.

Reply 56

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by Kristina D

A question for Dr Linley:

For anybody passionate about finding a way into a job where they are either working towards conservation, environmental sustainability or working towards improving environmental issues such as the plastic issue - but who may not have relevant experience (or studies) to do so - what advice would you give them to help them down the right path?

Thank you :smile:

That's tough. "Be the change you want to see in the world" is a good start. Both making a difference yourself and leading by example.

There are loads of things you could get involved with. Like the citizen science that I posted a little way up. If you really want to make a change in conservation then you can volunteer in order to get some experience that might lead to a job. There are multiple projects looking for people to submit their own observations.
Citizen Science Apps

It can be hard to make that leap from volunteer to a paying job though. If you were very serious then you could look at getting some training. There are some very specific courses available if you wanted to get specialist training, from a quick look here:
Ecology and Wildlife Conservation MSc
Biology (Ecology and Conservation) BSc Honours
Environmental Science BSc Honours

Original post by Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

Without fail, someone always wants to eat them! They do look a little like a jelly sweet but I wouldn't recommend it.

Most deep-sea animals have really low-density bodies; soft bones and really watery flesh. All fish have a chemical called TMAO that gives them some pressure tolerance. It is also what gives them their fishy smell when it breaks down. Deeper living fish have loads of this.

That's one thing they never tell you... deep sea fish are smelly!

Wow! Can I use this fact please? I volunteer in a Museum of Zoology and I've got nothing interesting to say about the fish.

More fish facts please!

Reply 58

Newcastle University Guest Lecturer

OP

5

Original post by threeportdrift

Wow! Can I use this fact please? I volunteer in a Museum of Zoology and I've got nothing interesting to say about the fish.

More fish facts please!

Hmm, we could be here some time. You do need some interesting fish facts though, feel free to use them!

There's a specialised scavenger on the abyssal planes called the armoured grenadier (a personal favourite). You can attract them with almost any from of biological material, I have even attracted them with spinach. But, if you use one of them as bait, they know to stay away. Interestingly, they have a distinctive smell, kinda dry and musty. I've described it as 'grandma's house'.

What most people think of as deep-sea fish: black, glowing lure, loads of teeth, are actually deep pelagic fish (living up in the open water maybe only a few thousand meters deep). Most of them are also tiny. The things in most of those scary pics are about as big as your thumb!
The world's deepest fish, the hadal snailfish are pink and kinda cute. Not what people usually think of.

Reply 59

pxvi

4

Hi, I really want to take a marine biology degree at the university of Southampton but any time I have mentioned my interest in the subject I've always been told that it's really difficult to find a job as a marine biologist, would you say that was true for you? And if I decide to take a zoology degree instead do you think it's still possible for me to work in marine biology in the future?

AMA: I'm a marine biologist who worked on the BBC's Blue Planet II

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you