Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/X009149/1
Taxonomic skills and field techniques for freshwater ecology and quality
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr A Jungblut, The Natural History Museum, Life Sciences
- Grant held at:
- The Natural History Museum, Life Sciences
- Science Area:
- Atmospheric
- Earth
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- Climate & Climate Change
- Floods
- Regional & Extreme Weather
- Risk management
- Systematics & Taxonomy
- Biogeochemical Cycles
- Biodiversity
- Water Quality
- Abstract:
- We propose an advanced course on taxonomic skills and field techniques for UK freshwater ecology and quality that addresses identified skill gaps in the NERC priority areas "Taxonomy and Systematics", "Fieldwork" and "Freshwater sciences". The national need for taxonomic training is highlighted by The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee report on the state of taxonomy and systematics (2008), which raised concerns about the health of the discipline in the UK and its ability to support the needs of its user communities. These skills are important because accurate species identification is fundamental for bioassessments, monitoring and conservation, to inform management and policy development, as well as research into food webs and ecosystem function, ecosystem services and climate change. Current undergraduate teaching, however, does not provide the necessary essential training for postgraduate research and professional careers in freshwater environmental management and policy makers, leading to a skills gap in taxonomy and systematics, fieldwork and freshwater sciences as highlighted by NERC. NHM is uniquely suited to deliver such a course because of its extensive expertise in freshwater taxonomy, biodiversity, field-sampling and contract work, its comprehensive reference collections, state-of-the-art research facilities, and the extensive experience of NHM researcher and curators in postgraduate training. Under the guidance of NHM experts, the course will teach the principles of taxonomic identification across a wide range of taxonomic groups used as biotic indicators, and that are key taxa in food-webs, including macroinvertebates, phytoplankton and phytobenthos, diatoms, bloom-forming harmful cyanobacteria, protists and aquatic lichens. The course will be a combination of lectures, practical training in the field (New Forest) and bespoke hand-on laboratory-based training. The course is limited to 15 participants to allow bespoke training for individual needs of the participants. Working in small groups with experts will ensure that, after the course, participants will understand the relevant sampling and identification techniques and terminology to be able to work independently using the appropriate identification keys and guides. Advertisement, candidate selection and course structure is designed to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion. Advance training outcomes of NHM Freshwater ATSC will include: 1. Awareness of biological diversity of UK freshwater benthic and pelagic habitats. 2.Ability to identify freshwater macroinvertebrates, algae, cyanobacteria, lichens. 3. Ability to use the appropriate handbooks, keys and online resources for taxonomic identification. 4. Experience in the preservation of different freshwater groups for voucher specimens and long-term storage. 5. Understand and implement best practice in sampling techniques, recording protocols for species lists, community assessment, monitoring. 6. Understand how to adopt appropriate sampling techniques according to particular research questions and habitat characteristics. 7. Understand the process of integrating taxonomic data and physical and chemical properties of freshwater aquatic habitats. 8. Understand the principles of biosecurity. 9. Awareness of sampling permits, benefit-sharing agreements, sites of special interest and licencing procedures for specially protected species under the Wildlife & Countryside Act.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/X009149/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Doctoral Training
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Advanced Training
This training grant award has a total value of £32,199
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs |
|---|
| £32,199 |
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