Training, field experience and research opportunity
Do you have a passion for marine life and conservation??? 💙 🦈 🐬
I am coordinating marine research & conservation field trips to The Gambia 🇬🇲 , West Africa with Project Wild Gambia to work on some of the world’s rarest species.
This work will allow you to get hands-on experience of a range of research methods as well as contribute to the development of vital conservation programmes.
Our next trip is departing around the 9th July 2022 for 2 weeks (longer and shorter trips are available).
The main focuses are:
1. We will be surveying the critically endangered Atlantic humpback dolphin, carrying out photo identification, boat and shore-based surveys and behavioural studies.
2. We have joined forces with the two marine turtle groups in The Gambia, creating the biggest conservation initiative for turtles in The Gambia ever… our work involves devising sea turtle rehabilitation protocols, hatchery designs, possible head-starting facilities and scientific monitoring.
3. Collecting data and recording elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) from all main fishing ports in The Gambia. Significant findings in the past decade include sawback and smoothback angel sharks (each only seen once in the whole world in the previous 15 years!) and small-toothed stingray - only ever seen once on the planet before, in Nigeria in 1870!
4. Training Gambian conservationists in cetacean, turtle and manatee rescue with our BDMLR trainers.
5. Developing our “headstarting” programme for West African Dwarf crocodiles (which were thought to be extinct in The Gambia until we rediscovered them) through surveys and possibly capture of juvenile crocodiles for translocation to our rearing facility (we have already developed our ideal forest reintroduction sites).There are also opportunities to see and participate in the research on a wide range of other species including west African manatee, Mediterranean monk seal, primates, reptiles, amphibians, birds and more…
The trip is a brilliant introduction to the wildlife of West Africa and the problems it faces. It will also allow you to actively contribute to real conservation actions and directly support Gambian conservationists.
Anyone is welcome to join us, no experience necessary, just a desire to learn & get stuck in!
If you are interested please join the group Marine Conservation in The Gambia for full details - https://www.facebook.com/groups/249272459941798/
Lecturer/Marine Biologist , Kendal College
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Thank you for sharing this opportunity Sarah. It would be lovely to get an update on how these experiences are going and if you have lessons you would like to share with the rest of the community. I would be especially interested in knowing any top tips for organising such opportunities and getting people involved.