Island of Seili, Nauvo, Finland

Training course on zooplankton identification

when 4 September 2017 - 8 September 2017
language English
duration 1 week
credits 2 EC
fee EUR 550

This 5-day long course on Baltic Sea zooplankton identification builds upon the more than 50 years of experience the organizing institute, Archipelago Research Institute of the University of Turku, has in conducting multidisciplinary research of the Baltic Sea, with a special focus on the northern Baltic Archipelago Sea. The course includes lectures and practical training from teachers that are experts on marine biology, zooplanktology and taxonomy, together comprising decade's worth of knowledge and expertise.

The course starts with lectures introducing various groups of zooplankton with reference to their morphology, ecology, diversity, research methodology, and interaction with hydrography and the food-web. The lectures are followed by practical training that will include zooplankton sampling on the institute's research vessel R/V Aurelia, laboratory exercises on zooplankton sample processing, and species identification for the major groups of zooplankton in the Baltic Sea: copepods, cladocerans, and rotifers. For the advanced students, the course will provide an excellent opportunity to receive person-to-person instruction for example on dissection techniques of copepod appendages. In addition to the course lectures and practical training, the summer school also includes a social program, including traditional Finnish wood-burning sauna, a 3-hour sampling/excursion trip to the Archipelago Sea with R/V Aurelia and a banquet dinner.

The course will be organized at September 4-8 2017 in the Archipelago Research Institute's field station "Seili", which is located in the middle region of the Archipelago Sea on an island known for its nature and particularly interesting history.


The course registration is now open on the official website

Course leader

Course coordinator: Katja Mäkinen

Target group

The training course is specifically designed to benefit MSc-students, PhD-students, early-career researchers and professionals and educators, interested in the course topic. The participant should have at least a Bachelor’s degree or diploma in science. Criteria for selection will be the motivation and usefulness of the training for one's career.

Course aim

The aim of the course is to transfer knowledge between current and future generations of researchers by providing high-quality education on the biology, ecology, and taxonomy of Baltic Sea zooplankton and methods dealing with these subjects, with emphasis on the practical aspects of sample analysis and species identification.Other objectives of the course are to encourage mobility and to promote networking with other researchers.

Upon completing the course, the participant will:
• Have up-to-date knowledge of the ecology of common zooplankton species and taxa found in the Baltic Sea.
• Be capable of operating common sampling equipment for zooplankton and processing the collected zooplankton samples.
• Have knowledge and skills on methods and techniques used in species identification.
• Be able to identify the main taxonomic characteristics, sort the zooplankton samples into major groups.
• Be able to count species abundance and biomass from a sample, and understand the statistics behind the counting methods.

Credits info

2 EC
The course includes 54-hours of teaching.

Fee info

EUR 550: The course fee covers 5-day accommodation, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), course delivery materials, all bench fees, use of field station facilities, participation in the field trip and social program, organized as part of the course. Accommodation and restaurant services will be provided by Skärgårdskompaniet Oy Ab (www. visitseili.fi/en). Students will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements and for the costs involved in traveling to the field station.

Please find more information from the original course website.

Scholarships

The summer school does not offer scholarships for the course.