On the 12th of February on the first light, we had the superb alternative to go to Cape City to attend a Jellyfish workshop. The “we” in query are the three authors of this weblog publish: Vincent, Vetle, and Håvard. We’re grasp college students all working with jellyfish-related subjects, and a few would go so far as to name us jellyfish fans. Our work is a part of the museum’s Artsprosjekter NorHydro and ParaZoo, and we have been comfortable to characterize the invertebrate collections and UMB at this occasion.
The workshop, held on the Iziko South African Museum, was organized by PRIMALearning and was a collaborative initiative between the College of Bergen and the College of Western Cape. This gave the three of us, accompanied by a number of different UiB college students not affiliated with the College Museum of Bergen, the prospect to go to Cape City. A few of us for the primary time.
On the primary day of the workshop, we have been greeted outdoors the museum by Mark Gibbons and his PhD pupil Michael Brown who was the consultant from UWC and can be instructing components of the workshop. With them was additionally Anne Gro Vea Salvanes because the consultant for PRIMALearning and the College of Bergen, she was additionally joined by our personal UMB scientists Aino Hosia and Luis Martell, who have been additionally a part of the instructing group.
The primary day included introductions from all of the individuals, and we acquired to know one another bit higher. We additionally acquired a short introduction to the world of jellyfish and their taxonomy earlier than the night time ended with a scrumptious dinner along with all of the individuals.
The second day began with lectures in regards to the giant or ‘true’ jellies (Scyphozoa), earlier than we acquired to get our fingers soiled taking a look at preserved samples of jellyfish. We have been met with a broad variety of scyphozoans that was handed round between the scholars so we might get a shot at figuring out them.
We examined mounted materials of scyphozoan jellies consultant of the three main teams inside the class:
- Rhizostomeae
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- Semaeostomeae
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- Coronatae (photos: Håvard Vrålstad)
The remainder of the day after the workshop was spent on the seaside, having fun with the solar and native wine. Cape City is known as the windy metropolis, and it did ship on its identify, however nothing might cease the sun-deprived Norwegian college students from going outdoors to take in some rays.
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- Sundown on the seaside.
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- College students at Lions head. IC: Håvard Vrålstad
The third day was Hydrozoa day 1, a subject expensive to our hearts and it was taught by our personal MSc supervisor Luis Martell. A few of us have been a bit drained at the present time as a result of we determined to climb Lion’s head mountain earlier than the workshop began to see the dawn.
However this didn’t cease us from eagerly working with the preserved hydrozoan samples we acquired to have a look at. We recognized all hydromedusae and siphonophores with the assistance of a stereomicroscope:
A dissected carybdeid cubozoan jellyfish. IC: Håvard Vrålstad
Day 4 was field jellies (Cubozoa) day, a category neither of us was very acquainted with. So we have been excited to study these unknown and typically harmful animals.
Fortunately the animals have been much less lethal when preserved and we might due to this fact contact them whereas figuring out them.
This present day ended early so we took the chance to get all the way down to Simon’s City have been we spent the remainder of the day wanting on the native penguins and wildlife on the seaside.
A snapshot of the fauna we noticed at Simon’s City. IC: Vincent McDaniel
On our final day, we have been launched to the alien world of siphonophores by our personal Aino Hosia. These animals are near Håvards coronary heart (should you ask him on an excellent day).
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- Fig 7. Anterior nectophores of a consultant of genus Sulculeolaria (7a)
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- and Chelophyes (7b). IC: Håvard Vrålstad
They have been a pleasant ending to an superior workshop, and we are able to actually say now that our curiosity for jellyfish has grown, and we look ahead to seeing much more of them sooner or later.
On February 19th the holiday/enterprise journey was sadly over for Vetle and Vincent and so they needed to pack their luggage and put together to depart Cape City and head house to Bergen, whereas the “barely” extra lucky Håvard stayed behind within the windy metropolis to take pleasure in a number of extra days of leisure.
Individuals and lecturers on the jellyfish workshop. IC: Anne Gro Vea Salvanes
We wish to thank PRIMALearning for arranging the workshop, the College of the Western Cape for internet hosting and offering us with samples to work with, the Iziko Museum of South Africa for the placement in addition to offering refreshments, and to the College of Bergen for arranging lodging. Additionally, a really particular due to all of the lecturers who introduced and have been very affected person with us throughout the lab work.
-Vetle, Vincent, and Håvard
Are you interested by turning into a grasp pupil in marine biology on the College Museum of Bergen? Details about obtainable initiatives might be discovered right here (extra will probably be added quickly!):
Marine Masters on the College Museum of Bergen
– obtainable thesis subjects in marine biodiversity