Fieldwork forms an integral and essential part of our degree courses, and ranges from day trips to local sites to overseas residential courses in some of the most exciting and interesting ecosystems in the world. Students gain first hand experience of different environments, learn to work safely and effectively in the field, and learn to pose and answer real questions relating to biology. In many cases, students will be working alongside scientists from the University and from the host country, and helping to provide important data for their research. Fieldwork also provides invaluable opportunity for independent learning, group work, and the professional skills needed for employment, as well as some great fun and social interactions.

The quality of biology fieldwork at Plymouth is unsurpassed and is consistently praised by our students, external examiners and assessors. Some recent comments include

“The range and number of field courses is particularly noteworthy and is essential for promoting practical skills.” (Ecology/Environmental Biology subject area External Examiner’s report, 2005)

“I have singled out the excellent range of field courses that the students can take. Some field work involves local sites but other courses are held overseas and provide the students with an excellent opportunity to expand their experience of marine environments.” (Marine biology subject area External Examiners’ report, 2005)

Our experience and reputation for fieldwork has resulted in the award of over £18 million of Government funding for the creation of a new Centre for Experiential Environmental Learning. www.plymouth.ac.uk/cetl/el Part of this project involves the development of state of the art video systems, allowing students to ‘visit’ remote field sites and inaccessible environments.

Local fieldwork – a full spectrum of habitats

Located on the boundary between between Devon and Cornwall and sandwiched between coast and high moorland, Plymouth is the perfect base for studying biology. In less than an hour, we can encounter moors, woodland, grassland, heaths, rocky shores, cliffs, sandy beaches, estuaries, marshes and sand dunes. Throughout the first and second year, students will visit a variety of local sites on day or half day trips. The descriptions below provide a taste of some of the activities we carry out on our different courses.

Plymouth Sound

We start as we mean to go on – in the induction week at the start of the course, all new students take a boat cruise in Plymouth Sound to Mount Edgecumbe just across the River Tamar in Corwall. Although mainly a social event to meet staff and fellow students, we’ll spend a few hours surveying the shore, fields and woods for plants and animals. The foreshore at Plymouth Hoe is unbelieveably accessible – just a 5 minute stroll from the University campus through the City Centre and you can be studying a great variety of marine life. Watch the video

Dartmoor

Dartmoor National Park is only 15 minutes away and provides the location for many field trips studying biodiversity, ecosystems and wildlife conservation issues.

Wembury Bay

Wembury Bay is the venue for field visits and student projects on many of our courses. The rocky shores of this bay are internationally recognised as one of the best sites for marine life in England. Projecting rocky reefs and a beach composed of stones and fine sand provide a wealth of habitats for a great variety of intertidal and shallow-water organisms. Groups of biologists visit Wembury Bay from all over the world, but it’s right on our doorstep. Click here to view a video.

Fieldwork at Sea

Our marine biology courses make extensive use of the excellent boating facilities available at the Coxside Diving and Sailing Centre, located in Sutton Harbour, a few minutes walk from the campus. They include two coastal research vessels with a variety of sampling gear and several rigid-hull inflatables. In particlular, the second year ‘Methods’ modules provide many opportunities for survey and sampling techniques in Plymouth Sound and the nearby estuaries.

Zoos, environmental parks, aquaria and farms

paignton zoo

We have close links with a great diversity of farms, zoos, wildlife parks and aquaria in the region. These are used extensively for field visits and student projects, as seen in this picture of a group visiting Paignton Zoo , whose staff teach on some of our courses. We are also a partner of the Eden Project and the National Marine Aquarium

RESIDENTIAL FIELD COURSES

Below you will find a taster of some of our regular residential field courses. In accordance with the developing British Standard for overseas fieldwork, we will try to give you as much advance information as possible about the timing, duration and cost of any compulsory field work associated with your chosen course. At the time of registration, you will be committing to undertake such compulsory elements of the course.

Please bear in mind that this is a guide only - the location and content of field courses are regularly reviewed to provide the best student experience according to circumstances.

Brittany

The Brittany field course gives a great introduction to a variety of coastal environments for first year students on the degree courses in Marine Biology, Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology, Marine Biology & Oceanography and Environmental Biology. Travel couldn’t be easier – using the Plymouth-Roscoff ferry. Four coastal habitats are studied; the rocky shore, the estuary, the sandy beach and the sand dunes. We spend the first two days learning to identify key species within these habitats and to begin to understand how these animals interact with their environment. The students then form groups and formulate a question or hypothesis based upon something that has particularly interested them. Observing animals and plants in their natural environment, after learning about them in lectures and laboratories, provides a valuable way of integrating information. Read a report on the 2005 Brittany field course.

Portugal

This is a one week experimental marine biology field course in the Algarve, Southern Portugal; enabling students to develop their your skills as a field biologist in a range of shallow water habitats and to work as part of a team to collect, analyse and present scientific data. The aim is learn about key marine habitats, assemblages and organisms in the field and to provide practical experience and understanding of the processes involved in their scientific study. During the course, students design and implement field- and laboratory-based investigations / experiments and present and discuss their data with colleagues.

Watch a video of the 2006 Portugal field course

Lundy Island

Lundy

This field course comprises 3 days on the mainland and 5 days on Lundy Island, a unique location off the coast of North Devon. The aim is to enable students to develop field ecology and behaviour observation skills, with emphasis on identification of species and individuals in conjunction with habitat evaluation. Data collected from fieldwork is used in order to demonstrate how such information may be utilised in answering ecological and behavioural questions and addressing environmental issues. Three different habitat types are assessed in both the mainland- and island- elements of the Field trip: heath/moor, farmed and marine/coastal. Part of the time is spent on ecological and diversity studies and part of it focuses on behavioural studies.

Sweden

Kristineberg

This one week course for Marine Biology & Oceanography students is based in the world-famous Kristineberg Marine Research Station (KMRS), at Fiskebäckskil, on the south-west coast of Sweden. The aim is to investigate a variety of offshore pelagic and benthic systems with respect to their biological, physical and chemical components and to provide practical experience of the sampling techniques involved in such studies. Students learn to recognise and identify key species and groups of organisms from contrasting offshore habitats and develop knowledge of the major physico-chemical parameters that may influence the biological components within these habitats. The variety of habitats gives rise to a very high biodiversity within a small area. Each day involves boat work on board one of the KMRS research vessels, with follow up analysis in the laboratory.

Azores

Azores

This new field course is being developed for second year Biological Sciences and Environmental
Biology students and will commence in 2007/8. We hope to visit during late summer and will use the facilities of the University of the Azores on San Miguel, one of the main islands. These unique, actively volcanic, islands are a mix of indigenous and introduced species and these interactions are of particular interest.

The field-based work will be further linked to laboratory-based biochemical, molecular and genetic work on the return to Plymouth. This innovation will enhance the students’ awareness of the broad nature of their subject and the application of modern techniques to a field situation.

Appledore, North Devon

This four day field trip aims to develop the abilities of student to undertake field studies in the biological sciences using appropriate methods and analyses. A wide variety of habitats are studied, including salt marshes, sand dunes and rocky shores. Ecological studies of plants and animals are undertaken, as well as microbiological analyses in the lab. Students undertake a small field project and present and discuss results with colleagues.

Watch a video of this field course

West Coast National Park, South Africa

The South Africa field course for students of Marine Biology & Coastal Ecology provides an excellent opportunity to become familiar with marine and coastal flora and fauna associated with some of the most unspoiled and spectacular coasts in the world. Due to climatic factors and ocean currents, the Cape region offers highly contrasting coastal ecosystems. It has a highly diverse flora and fauna, with high levels of endemism among reptiles, amphibians and freshwater fish. The region also has many threatened species, so students learn about important conservation issues. The course is partly taght by expert staff at the University of Cape Town. Activities include big mammal spotting, estuarine ecology, rocky shore diversity, bird behaviour and diversity, ecology of a freshwater pan, ecology of the fynbos, plant diversity and ecology. Students keep detailed field logs and prepare group reports and analyses, as well as taking part in a campfire ‘pub quiz’ to test their knowledge.

Borneo

For several years students have visited Danum Valley Conservation Area in Malaysia. This is situated on the edge of one of the last remnants of primary rain forest left in SE Asia. The course provides specialised training in aspects of wildlife conservation in an area under great pressure from deforestation and development.. Students are taught by skilled and experienced field biologists from the Danum Centre, in addition to their University tutors. Students study plants, insects, birds and mammals, as well as conducting their own research project and reporting on the results. Read an article about the 2006 Borneo field course.

Mexico

Wildlife Conservation students in their second year make a two-week field trip to the Yucatan peninsula on the Caribbean coast of Mexico. This is an area with one of the most biologically diverse mixes of tropical rainforest, coral reefs and mangroves. You will learn to work safely in challenging, unfamiliar situations, refining your abilities to pose and answer questions relating to environmental biology. The course starts with a visit to the Puerto Morelos Botanical Garden, to familiarise students with the plants and animals of Mexico so that key species can be recognised later on. Specific field activities include a detailed study of insect-plant relationships the ecology of mangroves, the conservation of manatees and forest structure, succession and management.

Andalucia

Andalucia

This new field course is being developed for first year Wildlife Conservation students commencing 2006/7. We will visit Andalucia, in southern Spain, during the spring. This region is renowned for the diversity of plants and is profoundly affected by the seasonal distribution of rainfall. There is also a diverse invertebrate fauna, and the area is also rich in migratory and resident predatory and insectivorous birds, as well as snakes, turtles, lizards and amphibians. We will also study some of the marine flora and fauna in this region. Students learn to identify key species within these habitats and to begin to understand how these organisms interact with their environment. The students then form groups and formulate a question or hypothesis based upon something that has particularly interested them. Observing animals and plants in their natural environment, after learning about them in lectures and laboratories, provides a valuable way of integrating information.

Netherlands

This new field course has been developed for students on the Animal Science (Behaviour & Welfare) course. From our base in Utrecht, the one-week course includes visits to some of the most interesting zoos and environmental parks in Europe, including Arnhem Zoo, Amsterdam Zoo, Apenheul Primate Park and Rotterdam Zoo. The course provides opportunities for detailed studies of behaviour in relation to the animals' physical and social environment, and review of conservation programmes at the different centres.