A Productive Transition into PhD Year Two

Cohort 6 of the QUADRAT DTP in Queen’s University Belfast

 Presenting my poster at the conferences

In early autumn, I attended the QUADRAT DTP Annual Science Meeting, where I presented a poster from one of my thesis chapters examining dietary variations between rockhopper and Magellanic penguins in colonies across the Falklands. The meeting was an excellent opportunity to learn from more advanced cohorts, receive public engagement and professional development training, and gain feedback on my work. It was also my first time visiting Belfast, and the trip included a memorable excursion to the Giant’s Causeway, made even better by the enthusiastic geological explanations from my cohort’s geoscientists.

Shortly after, I presented the same poster at the North East Scotland Ecology Network (NESEN) conference at SRUC, Aberdeen. This event offered a more local setting and valuable conversations with researchers working across the region. I was delighted to receive the prize for Best Poster, and it provided another opportunity to discuss my research in greater depth.

Alongside conferences, I submitted a grant application to the SUERC stable isotope facility to analyse my feather and blood samples for stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N). The funding would support the laboratory component of one of my PhD chapters, and in preparation, I have already cut a third of my samples (only 280 to go!). This marks the beginning of the analytical phase of my project, which will help reveal spatial and temporal patterns in rockhopper penguin diet across the Falklands.

Shortly after, I presented the same poster at the North East Scotland Ecology Network (NESEN) conference at SRUC, Aberdeen. This event offered a more local setting and valuable conversations with researchers working across the region. I was delighted to receive the prize for Best Poster, and it provided another opportunity to discuss my research in greater depth.

Laboratory set up to cut feather samples for SIA

Myself at the giant’s causeway next to 5m tall basaltic columns

Alongside conferences, I submitted a grant application to the SUERC stable isotope facility to analyse my feather and blood samples for stable isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N). The funding would support the laboratory component of one of my PhD chapters, and in preparation, I have already cut a third of my samples (only 280 to go!). This marks the beginning of the analytical phase of my project, which will help reveal spatial and temporal patterns in rockhopper penguin diet across the Falklands.

This autumn I also completed a 35-hour training course on policy engagement offered through NERC and ESRC. The programme covered how to plan for policy impact, navigate the policy process, engage effectively with policymakers, and evaluate policy influence. It was a hands-on and practical course that has strengthened my ability to communicate scientific evidence to policy audiences, skills that are increasingly important for applied ecological research.

As a second-year PhD student, I also had the opportunity to gain teaching experience by demonstrating in undergraduate classes. This included practical sessions on statistics applied to ecological data, fieldwork practicals studying leaf miners in the University of Aberdeen’s botanical gardens, and bird surveys at the Ythan Estuary. I additionally supported an introductory GIS course, helping students navigate spatial data and mapping techniques. These teaching activities have helped me develop my confidence and communication skills in an academic setting and were also a great learning experience for myself.

I am now preparing to depart for my second, and final, field season at the end of November. My first stop will be Steeple Jason in early December, home to one of Falkland’s largest colonies of rockhoppers. I am looking forward to working on this remote off-grid island, reconnecting with the spectacular wildlife of the Falklands, and collecting the final data needed for my PhD.