The Cnidaria+Ctenophora Analysis group on the PRIMALearning Jellyfish Workshop in South Africa

On the 12^th of February on the morning time, we had the superb alternative to go to Cape City to attend a Jellyfish workshop. The “we” in query are the three authors of this weblog put up: Vincent, Vetle, and Håvard. We’re grasp college students all working with jellyfish-related subjects, and a few would go so far as to name us jellyfish fans. Our work is a part of the museum’s Artsprosjekter NorHydro and ParaZoo, and we had been glad to signify the invertebrate collections and UMB at this occasion.

The workshop, held on the Iziko South African Museum, was organized by PRIMALearning and was a collaborative initiative between the College of Bergen and the College of Western Cape. This gave the three of us, accompanied by a number of different UiB college students not affiliated with the College Museum of Bergen, the prospect to go to Cape City. A few of us for the primary time.

On the primary day of the workshop, we had been greeted exterior the museum by Mark Gibbons and his PhD scholar Michael Brown who was the consultant from UWC and can be instructing elements of the workshop. With them was additionally Anne Gro Vea Salvanes because the consultant for PRIMALearning and the College of Bergen, she was additionally joined by our personal UMB scientists Aino Hosia and Luis Martell, who had been additionally a part of the instructing staff.

The primary day included introductions from all of the individuals, and we received to know one another bit higher. We additionally received a quick introduction to the world of jellyfish and their taxonomy earlier than the night time ended with a scrumptious dinner along with all of the individuals.

The second day began with lectures in regards to the giant or ‘true’ jellies (Scyphozoa), earlier than we received to get our arms soiled taking a look at preserved samples of jellyfish. We had been met with a broad range of scyphozoans that was handed round between the scholars so we might get a shot at figuring out them.

We examined fastened materials of scyphozoan jellies consultant of the three main teams throughout the class:

 

The remainder of the day after the workshop was spent on the seashore, having fun with the solar and native wine. Cape City known as the windy metropolis, and it did ship on its identify, however nothing may cease the sun-deprived Norwegian college students from going exterior to absorb some rays.

The third day was Hydrozoa day 1, a subject expensive to our hearts and it was taught by our personal MSc supervisor Luis Martell. A few of us had been a bit drained today as a result of we determined to climb Lion’s head mountain earlier than the workshop began to see the dawn.

However this didn’t cease us from eagerly working with the preserved hydrozoan samples we received to take a look at. We recognized all hydromedusae and siphonophores with the assistance of a stereomicroscope:

 

Day 4 was field jellies (Cubozoa) day, a category neither of us was very aware of. So we had been excited to find out about these unknown and typically harmful animals.

Fortunately the animals had been much less lethal when preserved and we may due to this fact contact them whereas figuring out them.

 

 

 

This present day ended early so we took the chance to get right down to Simon’s City had been we spent the remainder of the day trying on the native penguins and wildlife on the seashore.

On our final day, we had been launched to the alien world of siphonophores by our personal Aino Hosia. These animals are near Håvards coronary heart (should you ask him on a very good day).

They had been a pleasant ending to an superior workshop, and we are able to truthfully say now that our curiosity for jellyfish has grown, and we look ahead to seeing much more of them sooner or later.

On February 19^th the holiday/enterprise journey was sadly over for Vetle and Vincent they usually needed to pack their luggage and put together to go away Cape City and head residence to Bergen, whereas the “barely” extra lucky Håvard stayed behind within the windy metropolis to get pleasure from a number of extra days of leisure.

We need to thank PRIMALearning for arranging the workshop, the College of the Western Cape for internet hosting and offering us with samples to work with, the Iziko Museum of South Africa for the placement in addition to offering refreshments, and to the College of Bergen for arranging lodging. Additionally, a really particular due to all of the lecturers who introduced and had been very affected person with us in the course of the lab work.

-Vetle, Vincent, and Håvard

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