So, what's it been like in the science world after most staff were furloughed for months on end and all science stopped for almost a year...
What a look.
These photos are going to go in no particular order because there has not really been any structure to this hectic year. I can tell that I have been stressed and a bit under&overwhelmed with work because my blog posts have been so far and between!
Wish my legs were up all the time!
The first few weeks back at SAMS after furlough, I was all over the place trying to sort stuff out.
One of my most recent exploits was up around the West Coast of Scotland
A dynamic week sampling for Maerl around the west coast of Scotland, my best skippering job yet. Small roads, hard reversing, beach launches, busy ports, intense passage planning, exposed coasts, jumping dolphins, preying sea eagles and some happy scientists and the work truck only died on me on the day I was heading home!
"The 32-metre jet, managed by FAAM Airborne Laboratory, flew tracks over the loch to test the some of the aircraft’s four tonnes of instrumentation, while SAMS scientists below tested a prototype autonomous kayak that can take measurements at the water surface.
As the FAAM Airborne Laboratory aircraft took large-scale atmospheric measurements from the air, the SAMS prototype, known as the ImpYak, took detailed readings between the ocean surface and 50 centimetres above it.
It is hoped the respective readings from the flight on July 9 will help scientists better understand how heat and trace gases such as carbon dioxide are transferred between the air and the sea.
SAMS scientist Dr Phil Anderson explained: “We know that there is a transfer of carbon dioxide and heat between the air and the sea, but we don’t know exactly how much. We are hoping this unique combination of fieldwork measurements will address some important questions about the process.
“The aircraft took readings as low as 100 feet above the ocean surface but we also wanted to know what is happening just above the water line.
“In atmospheric terms, the membrane between the sea and the air is less than one millimetre thick – like a layer of clingfilm over the surface of the water - so it is difficult to study from a ship, which disrupts any measurements because of its size. The ImpYak will have less of an effect on this membrane and will give us useful data such as wind speed, temperature and humidity.
SAMS uses computer models of the atmosphere and ocean to help understand and predict the ocean, both for climate studies and to help the local aquaculture industry. These data from FAAM Airborne Laboratory in the air and the ImpYak at the surface will give an insight into where and when these models are less able to capture the reality of the environment.
During the four-and-a-half hour flight the FAAM Airborne Laboratory tested a new temperature sensor and a new greenhouse gas analyser.
FAAM mission scientist Dr Hannah Price said: “Flying over the loch at a range of altitudes, from 100 to 10,000 feet enabled us to collect data to improve our temperature sensors. It’s really challenging to make accurate temperature measurements when you’re flying along at 200 mph, and test flights like this one are really important for characterising our sensors. Flying at low level over the loch also allowed us to try out a new way of measuring fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane. Having the micro-meteorology measured on the loch surface by the SAMS team will give us really useful information when we come to analyse the data.”
The FAAM Airborne Laboratory is owned by the Natural Environment Research Council and managed through the National Centre for Atmospheric Science. The BAe146 aircraft has capability to measure a range of atmospheric processes, including cloud particles, greenhouse and pollutant gases, wind and turbulence."
"The project will use lice dispersal models to predict the larval lice burden in coastal waters in the study areas, with a specific focus on areas adjacent to river mouths with wild salmonid populations. Three existing lice dispersal models (already utilized in Scotland by the project partners) will be validated in two different areas, using historic sentinel cage and plankton tow data and new plankton data, respectively, to ascertain whether they accurately reflect lice populations in the environment. Both the sea lice dispersal models and the hydrodynamic models used to force them will be validated. Cross-validation of the same models in the two study areas will increase confidence in their general use and application elsewhere. Predictions of lice abundances adjacent to river mouths will also be calibrated against counts of lice on wild fish caught through net sampling in one of the study areas (Sound of Shuna).
Modelled sea lice distributions provide predictions for sea lice presence and will be used to inform field sampling for sea lice. On-farm, in-water, and wild fish lice counts will be monitored to provide data on spatial and temporal patterns of sea lice abundance coupled to the farming stocking, growth, and harvesting cycle. The project involves collaboration between farm operators, a number of local fisheries trusts and organizations, and two scientific institutes. This will enable a better understanding of how the (verified) output from the models reflects the interaction between wild and farmed fish. The work described above builds on a considerable record of scientific research on sea lice carried out by SAMS and MSS, which will be brought into the project. "
As seen on the government website:
The scientific study will comprise the following elements:
1. The development of sea lice connectivity modelling for the Sound of Shuna
It is proposed to test and validate three separate models within this project to better understand how model selection, design and operation affect the predictive accuracy and utility of models as a tool for the development of Environmental Management Plans.
spills_workpackage1_example.png
2. Development of a monitoring strategy for infective planktonic sea lice stages
In order to provide further data for model validation, a range of sampling strategies that integrate lice abundances over both temporal and spatial scales will be deployed to complement existing field data.
Nuber 2 is where we come in!
 |
| Sunset |
"These are most commonly found on mixed muddy gravel and sand in tide-swept narrows in sea lochs. They are formed by the intertwining of the byssus threads of Limaria with seaweed, maerl, shells and stones creating a unique habitat that consolidates the underlying sediments providing a surface to which other animals and plants can attach.
They are scarce in the UK: the majority of records are from west Scotland and are considered of national importance. The most extensive beds are in Loch Sunart and Loch Fyne. Large beds once found in the Firth of Clyde have declined considerably."
