The Challenger Society for Marine Science

Field work assistance with Wayamba University, Sri Lanka

University of Aberdeen

Thanks to the Challenger Society for Marine Science and the Watt Fund from the University of Aberdeen, I was able to travel to Sri Lanka to assist another PhD collaborator, Achini Fernando, with her eDNA field work from January to March 2026. The data collected from this trip will also be used in one of my PhD chapters with myself and Achini as co-authors. It was a fruitful knowledge exchange where I shared my expertise in eDNA sampling. In return, I had the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in a tropical environment, learn more about tropical seagrass habitats, and gain experience with plankton net sampling from experts in ichthyoplankton.

Collecting and filtering water for eDNA fish analysis.

My time was split between field sampling, presenting and enjoying the culture of Sri Lanka. Whilst I was there, I gave two presentations, one to faculty members at the Faculty of Livestock Fisheries and Nutrition at Wayamba University on how eDNA sampling can be a useful monitoring tool, and a similar presentation, but more focused on marine monitoring, to students and staff at The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS), Sri Lanka. Wayamba University and the WNPS also asked me to lead a four-day Introduction to R workshop. These experiences really helped me grow in confidence when presenting, as well as giving me an insight into teaching as a potential avenue for me.

Participants of the four-day workshop.

Whenever I had free time, I went around the country visiting various temples and kohvils, since they aren’t a common sight in the United Kingdom! Some of them were awe-inspiring, and it was really interesting learning about the history of the different religions in Sri Lanka. I also managed to get some scuba diving in as well! Seeing tropical fish species you’ve only seen in books or online in real life was incredible.

Buddhist temple Gangaramaya in Colombo (left), and a Hindu Kohvil (right).

My time in Sri Lanka was enriching. I got to network and build lasting relationships with researchers across the country, participate in valuable ecological research, learned new skills, and grow as an ecologist. I also have many ideas to bring home for my own research. It wouldn’t have been possible without the financial contribution from the Challenger Society, and for that, I am grateful to them.

Awardee Profile:

I am a second-year SUPER DTP-funded PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen within the Zoology department. My thesis is titled: “Using eDNA to assess the habitat characteristics in Scotland that best provide essential fish habitat (EFH).”

The overall aim of my PhD project is to provide information on the habitat types and local oceanographic characteristics that enable subtidal seagrass beds to contain higher juvenile fish biodiversity in Scotland. The study is also testing a range of collection methodologies for environmental DNA (eDNA) across western and island regions to improve the understanding of reasons for (and to limit) the level of variation in samples. This cross-institutional project works alongside the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI), Scottish Alliance for Marine Science (SAMS), NatureScot, and Wayamba University in Sri Lanka.