Profile

I’m a student researcher in freshwater (river) science. I look the outdoors and do lots of research in rivers and in the mountains!  I really enjoy my work, especially as I get to see really beautiful parts of Ireland.  On my time off I help on a sheep farm, and like to run and cycle.

I work with a species called the freshwater pearl mussel, which is a shelled creature that likes to live in really clean waters. Unfortunately, river pollution means that the freshwater pearl mussel doesn’t have much clean water to live in, and the populations are getting smaller and smaller. My research is looking at how we use land (for example in farming and in planting trees for forestry) around important rivers, and if the way we’re using the land might be making the rivers less clean. My work involves looking at the amount of “sediment” (i.e. soil) that is in the rivers. I do this by using a wide range of scientific equipment, and a variety of lab experiments. I hope that my research will give us more information about the cleanliness of the rivers so that we might be able help the freshwater pearl mussel to survive.

On a typical day, I drive to the office to fill up my car with equipment. This can include tools like sledgehammers, drills and bolts, which I may use to make sure the research equipment I put in the river doesn’t wash away! I also pack up my safety equipment, such as a life-jacket and a walkie-talkie. I then pick-up the more scientific equipment, such as something called an “acoustic Doppler profiler” which is a fancy word for a small boat on a rope that I pull across the river to record how much water is there on the day! I then visit one of the rivers I study to record things such as the water quality, the amount of water, and the number of mussels (the animal I study) that I can see. When I have enough recording for the day, I go back to the office and record everything I learned. I read some research that other people have written on the same subject, write up notes, and prepare for the next day. Often I have to go to a scientific lab to look at river samples I have taken more closely. Every day is different because I record lots of different things about the rivers, and you never know what weather you’ll have to deal with!

The freshwater pearl mussel is what we call an “endangered species”, this means that there is not many of them left and they are at risk of going extinct, which would mean that there would be no freshwater pearl mussels left in the world! The problem is that not many people know about this important creature. I would use the prize money to create a fun workshop to educate school children about the secret life of river animals, something that we often don’t hear much about. I’d like for my workshop to include inclusive games such as mini-fields that children can interact with to show what happens when we, for example, don’t have enough grass to protect fields. I would also show the children real river insects, and explain why these insects need clean water. Most importantly, I will teach the classes about the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, and talk to them about how they can help to make sure the mussel has a future in Ireland. I find that once people know more about the species they get really excited about it, so I’d love the opportunity to make everyone more aware of it.