Luke Batts

I chose to come to Liverpool to study Marine Biology for a couple of reasons. I felt the course was well rounded and suited what I wanted to get out of my degree. I also wanted to do my degree in a city and Liverpool seemed like a great city to live in for three years.

The field work, especially the various field courses to Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, I went on throughout my degree was definitely my favourite part of the course.  They were intensive and invariably hard work but gave me an invaluable insight into how marine scientific research progresses from data collection in the field to the written end product. The trips were also good way of getting to know the people on the course better.

I am currently working as a fisheries observer contracted out by a marine consultancy called MRAG Ltd.  At the moment I am working as CCAMLR observer on fishing vessels catching krill in the southern ocean around South Georgia, South Orkneys and South Shetlands. My role on the vessel as an independent observer involves many jobs such as sampling krill for biometrics and by-catch, observing seabird and mammal interaction with the fishing gear, and recording the general vessel operations. 

My degree gave me an excellent understanding of marine ecosystems in general and how they are affected by different pressures such as fishing. Another important skill that I learnt which has been essential is proficiency with Excel which has come from hours and hours spent manipulating data throughout my three years at Liverpool.