News, views & updates from the Aquatic MSc programmes

1. FACS & AER Review… Jun’13
The latest...
So, the taught elements of FACS are now over,
wrapped up by a week of combined fieldwork and
lectures on the banks of the R Frome in Dorset for
the ‘Streams & Rivers’ module. Attention has now
turned to projects!
Dimitra Mantzorou has been into the field with
Environment Agency colleagues to learn to
identify some of the invasive, non-native ‘shrimps’
that have established in the R Thames.
Dimi collecting her first ‘Demon’ shrimps from the R Thames at
Bell Weir Lock
Alex Domenge has carved herself a niche at the
Natural History Museum where she is examining
the depth optima for chironomids in Lake
Bogoria, Kenya. She is working with NERC-funded
PhD student, Phil Sanders.
Meanwhile, Bruno Gallo is busy preparing himself
for an extended field trip to Iceland to take part in
a research expedition to the Woodward Group’s
field site where geothermal springs provide a useful
‘natural’ climate change experiment.
Up on the roof of the Fogg Building, Ed Willis-
Jones is already dismantling his first mesocosm
experiment on red swamp crayfish as ecosystem
engineers. His critters of choice were recently the
focus of Jack Perks Photography - one had a
starring role next to the Regents Canal, promoting
invasive species for the Canal & River Trust!
Earlier this year, both Dimi Mantzorou & Ed
Willis-Jones represented The Grey Lab at a
conference hosted by the Institution of Civil
Engineers on Urban Aquatic Ecosystems, where
they presented posters on their Environment
Agency funded project work. We’d never noticed
Ed’s halo before!
So… What’s new?
A root & branch restructuring within the School
of Biological & Chemical Sciences means that the
current cohort of FACS students will be the last!
Our attention will now focus exclusively on the
AER programme, better reflecting the research-
driven ethos of the Aquatic Ecology Group.
We are extremely proud of our former (&
current!) FACS MSc students, the great majority
of which have gone on to pursue careers in
closely related fields as evidenced from the
‘Where are they now’ section. Of course we will
keep in touch & wish them continued success.
The latest version of the Handbook for 2013 is
available to download from the AER web pages.
Compiled by Dr Jonathan Grey Type ‘FACS field trips’ into YouTube and see what you get!
E-mail: j.grey@qmul.ac.uk Follow on Twitter @drjongrey Web: www.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/
Where are they now?
• Maria Potoroglou (FACS 09-10) worked for
Thomson Ecology Ltd as an Assistant Biologist
and is now undertaking PhD research at Napier
University in Edinburgh
• Adrian Hards (FACS 09-10) is embarking on
another season of salmonid related research for
his PhD after surviving his first Canadian winter!
• Rebecca Bromley (FACS 08-09) has moved on
from working as an Ecotoxicologist at ADAS to
an Environmental Monitoring Officer position
with the Environment Agency
• Dr Kev Wood (FACS 07-08) has now
produced eight papers as well as his PhD thesis
since completing FACS: see them on
Academia.edu
• Anna Doeser (FACS 07-08) is looking in to
how researchers and regulatory bodies survey and
monitor small rivers and streams for classification
/ monitoring requirements of the WFD. This is a
PhD study funded by the Scottish Environmental
Protection Agency
• Catherine Fuller (FACS 08-10) is now an EA
Catchment Co-ordinator of one of the 25 Defra
catchment pilots in England and Wales
Many of our graduates are now popping up with
profiles on social media such as LinkedIn or
Academia.edu. Easier to keep tabs on them now!