TST Blog - Volume 3

Week 9

A vital part of APEM’s work is prioritising the Health and Safety of its employees both in the office, the laboratory and in the field. As part of this commitment to Health and Safety, I was sent on a one day First Aid course to enable me to be a first aid appointed person in the workplace. The skills I learnt covered simple bandaging for cuts and breaks and recording a minor incident, as well as recognising the symptoms of an allergic reaction/heart attack/choking and CPR methods. I really enjoyed the hands on approach and took great joy in bandaging up my colleagues, but most importantly the skills I learnt are also useful in my everyday life and future outside of the workplace.


(Above) As a result of my training, my colleagues were pleased to receive excellent bandaging for their imaginery injuries!

I had a first taste of invertebrate sampling in some shallow streams and brooks near the Cotswolds. Standardised three-minute kick samples of the riverbed were collected in a net and will be used to qualitatively assess the effects of low flows on the ecology of the streams. Other measurements of the stream habitat such as surrounding land use, bank vegetation, substrate composition and physio-chemical measurements provide an ecological classification of the stream which will allow APEM to make an assessment of the effects of low flows.

   

Highlight of the week: I got to see part of the country that I have never visited before, and walking to and from the sites in the sunshine. I am grateful I have a job that involves working outdoors in the British countryside. I wonder how many city office workers would wish to have my job!

Week 10

This week I once again donned a drysuit to assist with the fish survey and collection of juvenile fish data from Salford Quays. Although I have previously been involved with seine netting surveys, I have never tried it in the shallows and canals of an artificially-created environment such as the Quays. I was amazed at the sheer numbers and variety of juvenile fish that were caught in the net, which goes to show how much APEM has helped improve the habitat in the Quays, since its shipping history left it heavily polluted.

APEM staff took the opportunity to informally chat to some anglers that were interested in our catch about the importance of the pike (or “Jacks”) in keeping the natural balance of species in the Quays. The anglers were concerned that the pike are devouring the valued silverfish which the fishers target; but they were interested to learn that actually by eating the sick fish and controlling the numbers of perch which are threatening to become overly abundant, the pike are crucial in maintaining the silver fish angling in the basins!

Highlight of the week: I am in awe after carefully holding a massive live pike, and seeing up close its large predatory eyes and sharp teeth, (whilst attempting to measure its length on the fish board) before releasing it gently back into the water and watching it dart into the depths! They are very impressive creatures!

Week 11

My much-anticipated electro-fishing training began this week with a morning spent with my colleagues in the “classroom” learning the theory and methodology, before we were released into the field in the afternoon to practice what we had learnt. Down on the banks of the quietly flowing River Bollin, I helped set up the gear under the watchful eye of the tutor, Dr David Cragg-Hine, and took my turn practising “fishing” using the electrodes, then collecting the stunned fish in a net downstream. I learnt to identify and measure the caught live fish and recorded the data, before returning the fish to the area from which they were collected. Having passed my theory “exam” and demonstrated my capability with the gear, I was very proud to receive my certificate, detailing that I have been taught Environment Agency approved methods, and I look forward to getting my waders wet when electro-fishing some rivers with APEM soon!



Highlight of the week: Passing my electro-fishing exam – as it has been a while since I took any exams and although I listened carefully and took detailed notes, I was still a little nervous that I may have forgotten something important!

Week 12

I visited Sefton Marine Lake for the first time this week, in order to take water quality measurements and samples. The measurements are used to provide baseline data which informs lake management to improve the ecological and recreational value of the lake. The value of the lake is currently impeded by algal blooms, which make the water visibly green and murky. The measurements I took included collecting chironomid midge exuviae from the lee shore; an efficient way of monitoring the chironomid midge larvae hatching through the seasons. The midge food source is important to the local bird population, so collecting information on the species present in the lake is valuable. Although the lake is safe to use by the public, APEM has proposed to improve water clarity by introducing mussels to naturally “filter” the water and the lake is currently being prepared for their arrival.