For the next six months, Emmie will join our marine ecologists to develop an in-depth understanding of the field and a range of valuable skills. Read her first blog post in the Coast Explorer Diaries series to get an insight into her background and the exciting research project she will be undertaking!
My name is Emmie, and I am one of the Coastal Explorer Interns this year, working at Adonis Blue, funded by the Crown Estate and in partnership with Vattenfal and Canterbury City Council.
I grew up spending most of my childhood walking in the fields around my home in Essex, and on family holidays I spent lots of time exploring the Northumbrian coastline and hiking across fells in the Lake District. With an upbringing watching a healthy amount of David Attenborough, I was always curious to learn more about the natural world, and knew that I felt very strongly about wanting to protect the environment in the future.
My ambitions were resolved after taking part in a volunteer marine research project in Ischia, Italy, when I was 17. I spent two weeks living on a sailing boat with other volunteers from around the world, collecting ecological data on marine wildlife, in particular cetaceans. My favourite experience was sighting and tracking Sperm Whales, using hydrophones and spectrograms to record their behaviour when they breached the surface. I was completely awe-struck seeing such huge and magnificent animals so close-up. The data we collected would help determine population size, habitat usage, and whether noise pollution affected their behaviour.
Back at school, I was keen to tell my peers what I had seen on my project, through videos I had made or speaking in assemblies. I wanted to raise awareness about the effects of humans on the ocean environment. In particular, I was passionate about our personal impact- such as plastic use. This was something I was keenly aware of after moving to China at 15, which was a huge environmental and lifestyle contrast to my childhood. These experiences fuelled my aspirations to better understand humans’ impact on the environment and be involved in conservation to protect vulnerable habitats and species.
This led me to complete a Biology Msci course at UCL, specialising in biodiversity and conservation. Throughout the 4-year course I developed interests in habitat conservation and ecology whilst completing terrestrial vegetation and bird surveys, as well as freshwater invertebrate surveys across the UK. However, marine biology was always a key interest I knew I wanted to pursue, which is why I am so thrilled to be on this internship programme.
As a Coastal Explorer Intern, I will be undertaking an independent research project, investigating whether Dark-Bellied Brent Geese are suitable indicators for habitat health along the North Kent and Essex Coastline. I am also looking forward to collaborating with stakeholders on additional projects encompassing marine and coastal ecology, conservation, renewable energy and community engagement. I am excited to meet and learn from a range of people within the marine industry. Overall, I aim to use this internship as an opportunity to develop the practical and technical skills which will help me start my career in marine conservation. My goal is to help deliver practical, nature-based solutions which protect the marine environment, whilst considering the needs of multiple users.
