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Holly Page's Work Placement with the AWT

Looking over Braye / Thanh Doan

Hi! My name is Holly and this summer I was fortunate enough to have completed a week of work experience in Alderney with the AWT!

I am an A-level student taking Biology, Environmental Science, and Maths. I live in Herm and I am hoping to study Marine Biology at University next year! I am particularly interested in cetaceans, pod behaviours and communications and my passion for conservation and marine life was my reason for wanting to take part in a work experience placement with the AWT.

Before my placement I’d never been to Alderney. All I knew was that it was a large-ish, very windy island with crazy tides. But it is absolutely teeming with marine life; there is such a diverse community of species: green ormers, star ascidian, snakelocks anemones and green shore crabs, just to name a few of my favourites.

 

Why It Matters These surveys contribute to a detailed database of Alderney’s Green Ormer populations, including their growth rates and overall health. Green Ormers hold significant cultural importance in Alderney and play a vital role in the ecosystem. These gastropods help control seaweed growth and serve as a crucial food source for whelks and seabirds.

An ormer clings - Thanh Doan

Snakelocks anemone

Snakelocks Anemone / Mel Broadhurst-Allen

Green shore crab

Green shore crab / Thanh Doan

Holly Page's work placement

Measuring a Chancre crab in a crab survey / Lou Collings

During my time with Mel (Dr. Mel Broadhurst-Allen, AWT Living Seas Coordinator) we completed many surveys, including sea water analysis, multiple shore searches, crab, European eel and pacific oyster and many more. Surveys are vital not only to AWT's local research and Living Seas programme; these also contribute to many other projects worldwide! It was such a privilege to be a part of so many projects around the world and I loved hearing the reason behind all the surveys, who we helped, and how! I found all of the behind the scenes knowledge extremely fascinating and I don't believe I could've gotten a better experience anywhere else!

Plankton survey

Plankton survey / Mel Broadhurst-Allen

My favourite was the shore search survey at Braye Bay; you saw so many unique species and I found learning to identify them all a very useful skill! I also really enjoyed getting to show the school kids David Attenborough’s newest documentary “Ocean”. I loved seeing how it moved the students and it was a nice reminder that something as small as watching a documentary can inspire people to the point of changing the whole course of someone's life. I find it truly wonderful that something so small can make such a huge difference,  and that's what I’m here for.

Holly Page's Beach clean

Holly Page's Beach clean / Lou Collings

Thank you so much to the AWT team for making this possible and being so welcoming! The work you all do and how you've changed AWT over the recent years is extremely impressive, I am so glad I could be a part of it. And also a special thanks to Dr. Mel Broadhurst-Allen who organised my trip, showed me around and made my week suited to me and my interests!

I wish I could've stayed longer! It was a truly incredible experience and I am very lucky to have had this opportunity to gain such quality hands on experience. I really enjoyed my time here and it went far too quickly - I do hope to be back soon! 

Thank you!

Looking over Braye

Looking over Braye / Niamh McDevitt

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