Training at British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
Dr Siobhan Vye
South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute
For the past 18 months, my research has focused on marine biosecurity in the Southern Ocean, specifically South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The Southern Ocean is at increasing risk of successful marine introductions from the combined impacts of increasing vessel traffic and climate change. To date, there has been no extensive screening of visitor sites around South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula for the presence of marine non-native species or to establish a baseline of biodiversity. In late 2024, a collaborator and I travelled onboard a tourism vessel to visitor sites in South Georgia and on the Antarctic Peninsula to collect environmental DNA and plankton samples to look for non-native species and characterise wider biodiversity. Environmental DNA techniques enable sampling on vessels of opportunity, such as tourism vessels, but the addition of traditional plankton sampling methods and the analysis of multiple sample types for metabarcoding provides for a more robust data set for analysis and interpretation.
Supported by the Challenger Stepping Stones Bursary, I organised to spend 4 weeks at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to work with collaborators, Drs Alison Cleary and Cecilia Liszka to be trained in metabarcoding techniques and automated identification of zooplankton to analyse the samples collected in 2024. The first two weeks of the visit focused on refining protocols for the extraction of DNA from surface water sample filters and quantifying the DNA extracted. I then received training on how to run PCRs using parameters developed under another South Georgia project led by Alison and Cecilia and check our target sequences had been amplified using gel electrophoresis. We were looking to use two different primers, 18S and COI, that would enable us to identify metazoan DNA from the water samples. We had to trouble shoot both PCRs protocols to ensure we had consistent amplification across samples. The final steps of the process were to prepare the samples for sequencing. As all these techniques took time to complete training on, and we had to refined some of the PCR protocols, I didn’t manage to finish all the steps that were required to make the samples ready for sequencing. However, I have organised to return to BAS for a couple of days in later in the year to finishing preparing the samples for sequencing. I successfully completed scans of all of the plankton samples from the project’s priority sites.
Figure 2 First training PCR run
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October 2025 MEDIN Workshop: Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset
The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the next occurrence of our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 13th – 17th October 2025 on OceanTeacher Global Academy.
Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset
The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and OceanWise are delighted to invite you to attend our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 19th – 23rd of May 2025.
Workshop on the contribution of UK Arctic Ocean science to the International Polar Year 32/33
12:00 11th June – 16:00 12th June 2025: NOC Southampton (In-person with online option): Registration deadline 16th May
REGISTER HERE
Pre-meeting questionnaire (open to all)
The purpose of this workshop is for the UK Ocean Science community to discuss and then draft a prospectus document outlining the priority Arctic research questions the community would like to address during the run up to, throughout and beyond the International Polar Year 32/33. Additionally, to identify what unique strengths and technologies the UK has to help fill these knowledge gaps.
The second day of the workshop will be dedicated to writing groups, one for each of the priority research questions identified - from both the pre-meeting questionnaire (HERE) and day one discussion. By the end of the meeting, each group will have produced draft text and sourced supporting figures for the prospectus.
Post meeting, the draft will be opened for comments and suggestions from everyone, regardless of whether they were able to attend the workshop or not. It will then be shared with UK funders (UKRI, FCDO, DSIT, ARIA) and potential international programmes with whom we would like to collaborate (e.g. Arctic 2050, Norway). It will form a basis from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities can be built, e.g. at the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September in Northumbria.
To ensure balanced community and ECR representation, and to ensure that the size of the writing groups is efficient and effective, if the number of registrations from individual institutes becomes overwhelming, we may contact individuals or teams and ask that each institute selects a smaller number of individuals to attend in-person. Please wait for confirmation of in-person attendance before finalising travel arrangements.
The workshop will be open to hybrid attendance and contributions on both days.