From lab to office

I thought at some point I would blog that I have no samples to process. And that moment might still come, but not anywhere soon. Last Wednesday I counted the last of the Isle of Wight samples, which meant I had no more to count. None! What a feeling. But before I got round to mentioning that here I received the next batch of samples… from Scotland, this time.

Having received these does not immediately alter things though. This week is dedicated to data compilation. Early July I’ll present our Icelandic results at the INQUA meeting in Sussex. So for the time being I have exchanged my daily ogling of forams in the lab for hours on end for a continuous office existence. It’s a nice change! Making a presentation always gives you new insights. Much more muscle work for the brain! Less, though, for the body; the lab is on the 8th floor, while my office is at ground level…

Interestingly, we have decided that I will present the Icelandic work while Tasha presents the Isle of Wight. Logically; we in Plymouth are in charge of the Iceland field site, while Durham wields authority over the site on the Isle of Wight. Furthermore, Tasha didn’t come with us to Iceland. But by sheer coincidence, the Icelandic research relies heavily on diatoms, while on the Isle of Wight it’s the forams that are most important. And I’m the foram specialist, while she is the diatom specialist… we’ll learn a thing or two about each other’s research field!

Diatoms. Source: Creative Commons