Where did you go and what did you do?
I went to the Whitby Lobster Hatchery. The hatchery looks after juvenile lobsters while they are at their most vulnerable and aims to release 100,000 lobsters back into the ocean each year. My job involved looking after the lobsters and getting them ready to go back into the sea.
What made you want to do that particular placement?
I have always been interested in animals but had previously found getting experience in this area really difficult. I’m particularly interested in animals that have the capacity to produce lots of offspring so the lobster hatchery was a perfect fit.
How did you go about finding and planning your PIPS?
Essentially lots of googling, then emailing a bunch of places that seemed like they might be in the sort of area I was interested in.
What have you gained from doing your PIPS?
I know how to raise lobsters now, which while somewhat niche is definitely something I couldn’t do before. I think the main thing I gained from this is confidence in learning to do things out of my comfort zone – there were lots of things I’d never have thought I’d have been able to do that I did get to grips with while at the hatchery.
How would you sum up your PIPS experience?
About as different as you could get from my day to day job in the lab, and a lot of fun.
What advice would you give to other PGRs about PIPS?
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with organisations / people you are interested in working with – at the end of they day the worst they can say is “no thanks”.