It’s been a busy six months since returning from my first field season in the Falkland Islands, and I’m pleased to share that I’ve now completed the first round of sample processing, roughly 10,000 macroinvertebrates in total! This really highlights how rich the kelp communities in the Falkland Islands are.
My research continues to investigate macroinvertebrate communities associated with native and non-native kelp species, exploring how biodiversity varies between kelp types, exposure regimes, and across different parts of the plant. These results are already shaping the design of my upcoming second field season, where I’ll incorporate thermal tolerance experiments and CT-scanning of holdfasts to better understand the relationship between the holdfast structure and the community it hosts.
Alongside lab work, I also helped organise the Marine Biological Association’s 2025 Postgraduate Conference, hosted at the University of Hull this spring. It was a formative experience to be part of the organising committee, and a real highlight to present my findings so far to fellow kelp enthusiasts. I even had the chance to run a workshop focused on science communication, researcher identity, and networking. Special thanks to Dr Siobhan Vye from SAERI for contributing to our career panel and sharing insights from her work on marine non-native species.
Looking ahead, I’m finalising arrangements for a second Falkland Islands field season, which will expand on experiments into how species behave after kelp detachment—our so-called "abandon ship" trials—and investigate the physiological limits of potential rafting organisms. Exciting times lie ahead as this project continues to grow, shaped by the biodiversity of Falkland Islands kelp forests and the fantastic support from the local and academic communities.
This work would not be possible without the support of SAERI, SMSG, The University of Hull, British Antarctic Survey, The Shackleton Scholarship Fund, and The John Cheek Trust, to whom I am immensely grateful. Alongside the ongoing support and guidance of my supervisory team.
