Applications now open for GMIT and SMART Applied Marine Biological Sampling Course

Suitable candidates are invited to apply for the accredited continuous professional development module (CPD), Applied Marine Biological Sampling and Data Collection. The module will take place from September 30th to October 25th 2013 and is offered by Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) and the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART).

Applied Marine Biological Sampling and Data Collection aims to provide attendees with the detailed practical knowledge and skills necessary to design and implement biological sampling and data collection campaigns on marine commercial platforms. The module is aimed at postgraduate students of marine science and marine industry personnel.  

Four days of shiptime sampling and data collection onboard the Celtic Voyager and Celtic Mist  off Cork and in the Shannon Estuary respectively are supported by three days of intensive laboratory practicals and lectures in GMIT.  Attendance onboard, at practicals and lectures is required from October 7th to 13th with all other elements accomplished through student centered distance learning.   

Themes addressed include quantitative sampling of fisheries and benthos, surveying and monitoring methodologies for cetaceans and seabirds, tissue sampling and preservation, and oceanographic data collection and sampling.  

Completion of the module results in an award of 5 credits at NFQ level 9 under the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).     

The Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART) is a marine science partnership programme designed to further develop capacity in carrying out offshore operations on board research vessels for third level students of marine-related science and technologies.

This strategic collaborative inter-institutional programme is led and funded by Irish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the Marine Institute and is also supported by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

Application forms are available online at: http://smartseaschool.wufoo.eu/forms/applied-marine-biological-sampling… or by emailing smart@gmit.ie  

For additional information, contact smart@gmit.ie