Steve is an M-Degree student and graduated in 2013. He now works for Natural England.
Why did you choose to study / research marine biology?
It may sound clichéd, but I do love to be beside the seaside. Not because of the weather, as it is usually pretty rubbish 90% of the time. It is because of the biology of the shore. To the untrained eye, a canopy of Ascophylum nodosum may seem a pile of squishy mess, but to us marine biologists, it is a beacon of life. While most people avoid it, we rummage through it!
What is your research project about?
I will be measuring the hydrodynamic forces surrounding Ascophylum nodosum canopies and observing how much these canopies reduce the forces. This has only been done on Chondrus crispus in Rhode Island, USA. This will prove a very interesting project for shore ecology.
Interesting fact about yourself?
I once ate a slug when I was younger…