A field course designed for those who want an introduction to seaweed identification and taxonomy. Numbers will be limited to enable the tutors to cater for individual needs of interested amateurs, professional biologists requiring further training or refreshers, students (graduate and post-graduate), artists, and those working with the Water Framework Directive.
Topics to be covered – Introductory Section
- The common shore species and how to identify them
- Rock pools, overhangs and special seaweed habitats
- Use of keys and identification guides, microscopes and identification in the lab
- Pressing seaweeds
- Water Framework Directive Species Identification
Topics to be covered – Advanced Section
- Identifying seaweeds from ‘difficult’ marine habitats e.g. marinas and lagoons and recognising non-natives.
- The beautiful slime: Identifying filamentous red, brown and green seaweeds
- Difficult flat red seaweeds.
- Encrusting seaweeds
- Laboratory techniques for sectioning and staining
- Preparing specimens for DNA extraction and analysis techniques
- Culture of seaweeds for research purposes
Instructors:
- Professor Christine Maggs (Belfast University)
- Francis Bunker (MarineSeen)
- Professor Jason Hall-Spencer (University of Plymouth)
- Professor Juliet Brodie (Natural History Museum)
- Anne Bunker (MarineSeen)
Prerequisites
Equipment
Course participants are asked to bring:
- Waterproofs
- Wellie boots
- Field Note Book + soft pencil
- Hand lens
- Poly bags / containers for collecting
- Basic dissecting kit (forceps, scalpel, scissors)
- Seaweed press + paper etc. if you want herbarium specimens
- Rucksack
- Flask
- Lunch box
- Identification books – the more the better but particularly:
- Seaweeds of the British Isles series of books and the
- Seasearch Guide to Seaweeds (2nd edition). This will be available to buy at the course.
To be provided:
- Microscopes
- Seawater
If you have a microscope of your own that you like to use, then please do.
Application procedure
Application forms
Click here to download the application form
NB: Please check course availability first for the course by contacting the course administrator Sally Archer-Thomson at archerthomson@btinternet.com. Sally will email you back to confirm either way. If there are places available you will be provisionally added to the booking list. All fees are payable in advance (before 30th March 2025) to MarineSeen. If order numbers are required prior to invoices being paid, please supply ASAP.
Grant opportunities
Costs and applications
The course fee is £450.00 (inc VAT) which will cover the teaching and use of laboratory facilities (excluding food and accommodation).
Learning outcomes
Outline Course Programme:
The course will start at 0915 on Tuesday 20th May and end at 1500 on Friday 23rd May (Sites chosen for field visits may vary depending on weather conditions etc).
Day 1 – Introductory lecture followed by a field trip to a local shore for collection and later laboratory identification.
Day 2 – Laboratory identification of collected specimens, short lectures on a variety of topics, field trip to a contrasting habitat.
Day 3 – Laboratory identification of collected specimens, short lectures on a variety of topics, field trip to a contrasting habitat.
Day 4 – Laboratory identification and further brief lectures and a chance to do more difficult and specialised identifications.
Files/Documents
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