We are teaming up with Ocean Ecology to deliver an intensive multi-day marine vertebrate course at FSC Millport, on the Isle of Cumbrae, in August. The course is aimed specifically at those who have aspirations of studying marine invertebrates either in a commercial or research laboratory setting and will provide attendees with the base level understanding of taxonomy and practical laboratory skills needed in such roles.
This course will run be over a maximum of four days but will be broken down into three independent sessions with delegates having the choice of attending either the full programme or just the first two days. The first part of the course will be a two-day ‘Introduction to Marine Invertebrates’ that will cover the identification of marine invertebrates, with a focus on major phyla, orders, and classes, plus their basic morphology and taxonomy.
The third day will provide an ‘Introduction to Marine Invertebrates (Annelida)’ and will be a continuation of ‘Introduction to Marine Invertebrates’, covering the taxonomy and morphology of the phylum Annelida in much greater depth. This further day of training will focus specifically on polychaete (aka bristle worms) worms, a class that displays a huge range of body forms and modified body parts that have allowed them to adapt to a wide variety of ecological niches.
The last day will provide an ‘Introduction to Marine Invertebrates (Amphipoda)’. This final portion of the course will cover the taxonomy and morphology of the interesting order Amphipoda, a group that has evolved to thrive in a diverse range of marine habitats ranging from the deepest known points of the ocean to brackish environments.
All three sessions of the course will involve classroom and practical elements enabling attendees to identify specimens using preserved materials from our extensive reference collection.
The courses will be delivered by two experienced taxonomists, Bryan Wasson and Adam Jenkins, who hold 25+ years of collective experience working in commercial laboratory settings.
