Profile

Hi! My name is Jasmine. I’m 25 and I live in Galway which is a county on the west coast of Ireland. Actually, I come from another country – England, where I lived for fourteen years, but eleven years ago, my parents decided to change their jobs, and we all moved to Ireland. I have two sisters and I am the middle child. My parents are both graphic designers.

I am interested in marine science, music and hiking. Marine science first appeared in my life when I was ten. Then I saw my first David Attenborough documentary. It was “Blue Planet” and I remember myself thinking that it was the best thing in the world. I was watching it whenever I could. Then I went scuba diving. At first, I was afraid, but some time later, I realised that it wasn’t so bad and I started to notice all of the plant and animal life around me. Now, I have a degree in marine science and I’m doing a PhD in zoology (the study of animals). I hope that in the future I will get a job as a marine biologist.

My favourite musician is George Ezra. I think he is the best musician on the earth. Together with my friends, we are devoted George Ezra fans. I have all of his albums. I love him, but I also like other musicians like Imagine Dragons, Tom Odell and Lady Gaga. Apart from that I really like musicals, and one of my favourite albums is the “Greatest Showman” soundtrack.

I have always enjoyed outdoor activities. I like hiking, swimming and walking my dog. Together with my friends, I have climbed several large mountains. My favourite outdoor activity is walking my dog. He loves going to the beach.

This is me and my dog, Simba, on a beach in Clifden, Co. Galway.

My dream is to be a marine biologist and to go to Hawaii. I love everything associated with this country. I want to go to Hawaii and stay there for a long time. I want to get a job there as a marine biologist.

Jellyfish have special cells on their tentacles which are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye. These cells are special because they are venomous. When you touch a jellyfish these cells inject venom into your skin, which is why a jellyfish sting hurts so much! I use a microscope to look at these cells to find out: How do they work? and do different jellyfish have different types of cells?

I am also interested in the venom inside of these cells. I use a machine to break the venom down into different parts. A computer then tells me what the different parts actually are.

Jellyfish are very dangerous animals and when people or fish are stung it can be very painful and cause a lot of damage. Part of my work is to find out which is the best treatment for a human when they are stung by a jellyfish and to make a medicine for fish to protect them.

My typical day depends on the time of year because jellyfish can only be found during the summer. During the winter, the adult jellyfish have died and the baby jellyfish are growing.

During the summer, I wake up at 6 or 7 am and I put on my wellies, rain pants and raincoat. After a big breakfast, I drive to the harbour and I get into a small boat. The boat takes me along the coast and the whole time I’m in the boat I am looking over the side for jellyfish. In the water they can be hard to find because some types of jellyfish look like seaweed. Sometimes when I see seaweed I think it’s a jellyfish. When I see a jellyfish I tell the boat driver to stop and I swoop the jellyfish into a net. Sometimes the jellyfish are too fast and they swim under the boat.

This is me catching a Lion’s mane jellyfish in Dublin bay.

When I’ve caught one I put it into a huge bucket filled with seawater. The boat turns around and takes me back to the harbour. When we get into the harbour I put the bucket in the boot of my car and I drive it back to my lab. In the lab, I might look at the tentacles under a microscope or do some experiments. When I’m finished with the jellyfish I take it back to the harbour and I release it back into the ocean.

I love going out on the boat. At first, I got a little seasick but now I really enjoy it. It can be a lot of hard work though. I’m lucky that jellyfish are only around in the summer. I wouldn’t like to be on a boat during the winter when it’s rainy and windy.

Sometimes I don’t have to go on a boat to find jellyfish. Sometimes the waves carry them to the beach and I can collect them there.

During the winter, my work is a lot less interesting. Mostly I am in my office writing up my results. I don’t always mind this work though. It can be a nice break from the busy work of the summer. Sometimes, during the winter, I travel to different places to talk to other scientists.