Emily Verspaandonk

Observation is key in this field and you learn how to interpret and communicate data in the form of a cohesive report or presentation so that it makes sense.

I love animals, the outdoors and investigating new areas of biology.

I really enjoy the field excursions and so far I’ve visited a reef, spent a day at the zoo, had a weekend in Queenscliff and spent a week on Lizard Island at a research station.

During the Lizard Island study tour we went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and I was able to apply the theoretical learning about winds, currents and invasive species to the ecosystems around the different reefs while observing the many animals and corals.

Observation is key in this field and you learn how to interpret and communicate data in the form of a cohesive report or presentation so that it makes sense.

This degree really focuses on the practical aspects of being a scientist as you learn to effectively communicate information to other scientists and the general public through writing and presentation.

It also allows room for a student to discover and work out things for themselves – which leads to a real sense of achievement.

As an honours student I’ve been doing a project on the effect of herbicides in a community of invertebrates living in invasive salt-marsh grass.

It’s been an achievement for me just to read the sheer number of articles I used for my literature review and compressing all the information into a 5000 word report.

My two front running ambitions are to be either a taxonomist or maybe a marine photographer.

Three words to describe me would be a perfectionist, practical and thorough.

I love what I do because I’m learning to understand the intricacies of creation, the beauty of the world we live in and the imagination of the designer!