Duration of Internship: April 2025 – June 2026

Qualifications
B.Sc. Ocean Science & Marine Conservation University of Plymouth (2023 – 2027)

During her three-month internship at MER, Lucy gained valuable experience across a broad range of research activities, developing both her fieldwork and analytical skills. She was primarily involved in the marine litter, RESPOSCY, and PROMETHEUS projects, making significant contributions to the preparation of resources for Posidonia oceanica planting ahead of the summer fieldwork season. In addition, she regularly used CPCe software to analyse and map the distribution of various macroalgae species on the seafloor, strengthening her ecological monitoring skills.

As part of the marine litter project, Lucy participated in both beach litter collection surveys and several turtle dissections, contributing to research investigating the impacts of marine pollution.

Lucy further expanded her fieldwork experience through the PROMETHEUS project by assisting with BRUVs deployments at Latsi. She also undertook a week-long data collection trip alongside another intern to evaluate the effectiveness of different fishing methods for controlling the invasive blue crab, gaining practical experience in invasive species management.

Finally, at the European Maritime Day conference, she engaged with members of the public on several key projects. This experience further developed her science communication and public engagement skills while showcasing the organisation’s ongoing marine conservation initiatives.

‘My time at MER has been incredibly varied, and as a result I feel more confident in my ability to work as part of a research team. I have gained both technical and lab-based skillsets from these projects, whilst being involved in conservation, data processing, fisheries research and EU funded projects. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to be trusted with a week-long trip for data collection and gained so many valuable insights from the experience. Thank you to the MER team for being supportive of my progress and incredibly helpful in my early career journey.’

Contact: lucyannehare@icloud.com