The Cnidaria+Ctenophora Analysis group on the PRIMALearning Jellyfish Workshop in South Africa

On the 12^th of February on the morning time, 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 put up: 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 completely happy 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 couple of different UiB college students not affiliated with the College Museum of Bergen, the possibility 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 could be instructing elements 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 crew.

The primary day included introductions from all of the contributors, and we bought to know one another bit higher. We additionally bought 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 contributors.

The second day began with lectures in regards to the massive or ‘true’ jellies (Scyphozoa), earlier than we bought to get our fingers soiled preserved samples of jellyfish. We have been met with a broad variety of scyphozoans that was handed round between the scholars so we’d get a shot at figuring out them.

We examined fastened materials of scyphozoan jellies consultant of the three main teams inside the class:

The remainder of the day after the workshop was spent on the seashore, having fun with the solar and native wine. Cape City is known as the windy metropolis, and it did ship on its title, however nothing might cease the sun-deprived Norwegian college students from going outdoors to absorb some rays.

The third day was Hydrozoa day 1, a subject pricey to our hearts and it was taught by our personal MSc supervisor Luis Martell. A few of us have been a bit drained this present day 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 bought 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 conversant in. So we have been excited to find out about these unknown and generally 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.

At the present time ended early so we took the chance to get right down to Simon’s City have been we spent the remainder of the day trying on the native penguins and wildlife on the seashore.

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 (when you ask him on a great day).

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 stay up for seeing much more of them sooner or later.

On February 19^th the holiday/enterprise journey was sadly over for Vetle and Vincent and so they needed to pack their luggage and put together to go away Cape City and head dwelling to Bergen, whereas the “barely” extra lucky Håvard stayed behind within the windy metropolis to take pleasure in a couple of extra days of leisure.

Members and academics on the jellyfish workshop. IC: Anne Gro Vea Salvanes

We need 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 in the course of the lab work.

-Vetle, Vincent, and Håvard

Are you curious about changing into a grasp pupil in marine biology on the College Museum of Bergen? Details about accessible initiatives may be discovered right here (extra shall be added quickly!):

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