05/06/2026
Our student Eliška spent a week in Scotland as a part of her internship at the University of Salford, meeting Her Royal Highness Princess Anne! Here are her reflections:
As a part of my internship, I went a field trip to the Isle of Great Cumbrae, to the Field Studies Council in Millport. It was a trip for a Marine Biology course at The University of Salford, designed to introduce undergraduate students to data sampling and identifying species in marine ecosystems. I joined this trip as part of my internship at the Environmental Research & Innovation Centre (ERIC), and got invaluable experience in supervising students, as well as learning about UK's marine life.
I helped Professor Mariana Do Amaral C. Lima in tutoring a small group of undergraduate students over the course of the week in:
1️⃣ Identifying and quantifying species collected through an exploratory trawl with the council's vessel.
2️⃣ Guiding students in data collection at a rocky shore site - using transects and quadrats to assess its biodiversity.
3️⃣ Assisting sampling at a sandy shore - using transects, quadrats, and fishnets to quantify and demonstrate the differences among all the locations.
The entire (sunny!) week was full of learning, observing wildlife, and fun activities. We were also joined by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, who was keen on getting to know more about our work.
