Why did you choose the service/institution you chose?

The Station Biologique de Roscoff is a historic building which is internationally recognised for excellent marine biological research. As a budding marine biologist, it is an important location to visit. For my work, I could really benefit from working with marine animals using natural seawater pumped from just outside the door to the research aquarium. The station is also perfectly located for working with European abalone, as the aquaculture facility of France Haliotis is only an hour drive away, making animal collection convenient. The research aquarium is perfectly equipped for all needs, with customisable lighting and heating parameters, flow through natural seawater, and expert technical staff to help design and look after the animal tanks. With the rocky shore right on the doorstep, with a huge tidal range, makes collection of natural larval settlement cues easily available. The station is ideal for all marine biological research in situ, wet lab, or dry lab.

How did this access experience support your research?

Having expert guidance in the aquarium and direct access to the biological materials I needed made working in the research aquarium very efficient. This helped me to get set up quickly and get to work. I had direct access to macroalgae that I could collect fresh for experiments which I would not have access to at my home institution. I was also an hour from an abalone farm where I could collect adults and larvae directly to perform my experiments with. Also, the station at Roscoff is very collaborative and host researchers from around the world. I have been able to lend a hand to other researchers during my time here. I have been shown ecological survey techniques, such as how to collect recruits from the tidal zone using small ceramic tiles. This is a rare treat for someone who is 100% lab based and often disconnected from the marine environment. I think this could be a beneficial tool for me in the future if ever I wanted to study larval settlement success in natural populations and not in a controlled laboratory.

How does your project benefit society, industry, or policy?

In both the marine environment and aquaculture settings, settlement of marine invertebrate larvae is a major bottleneck to recruitment and production. It is estimated that between 98-99% of all marine invertebrates will not survive to their juvenile life-stage. This results in hatchery management coming up with creative ways to twist the odds to improve larval settlement and survival. The most common technique to encourage recruitment is to supply developed larvae with a positive cue, such as macroalgae or microbial biofilm. For some species, like Pacific oyster, recruitment can be achieved through use of neurochemicals such as epinephrine. My research focusses on the interplay between natural larval settle cues and the larval nervous system in controlling settlement behaviour. By understand the cue-nervous system interaction, we could discover neuronal pathways that can be manipulated to enhance larval settlement in hatcheries. Could the application of settlement cues for European abalone with external synthetic neurochemicals boost recruitment? If so, this could reduce post-settlement mortalities, provide greater stock for farming, and protect natural populations of endangered marine species.

How did this experience mark your scientific career?

It is important to go outside of your comfort zone during a PhD and academic career. Travelling to France to work in Roscoff opened me up to a different culture and approach to science. I also got to meet researchers that I would not have had the chance to interact with before. After giving a short seminar during the access visit, I met with other researchers who work in fields outside of mine, but with a shared interest in marine larvae. Discussions about larval dispersal models, changes in RNA expression through development, and sharing my own experiences, has helped me to think about different contexts where my research could be beneficial. For example, can we use larval settlement behaviour and molecular biology to build models on what settlement looks like in the natural environment. This is something that is very difficult to do currently. It also is an important mark in my career as a marine biologist. The Station Biologique de Roscoff has been operating since 1872, with the research aquarium being completed in 1883. It is a very important institution to work in and experience for marine biology.

Please share some words of encouragement to future users.

The whole process has been great, with everyone at AQUASERV and Roscoff being very supportive. If like me, you are in the early stages of your scientific career, it can feel daunting to put forward a research plan for peer review. However, the reward is worth it. You will gain more independence, you can collaborate with other researchers at the host institution, and experience different cultures and languages. These are key experiences for a future academic career which would not have been possible for me without the support of the AQUASERV Transnational Access fund.