Profile

Growing up in Glasgow I didn’t know much about marine sciences, was never the smartest in school and I actually didn’t know what ‘AQUACULTURE’ was until I was in my 20s. Now I’ve got a PhD in Sustainable Aquaculture!

I grew up in a working class family and had part-time jobs since the age of 13. I worked in a bakery through high school, then had 2 part-time jobs during my undergraduate and postgraduate university degrees- I worked in Superdrug during the day and McDonalds at night. Thankfully, in Scotland our undergraduate degrees are paid for by the government, and I got a scholarship for my Masters and PhD degrees, so the money I earned while working paid for living expenses and holidays/ nights out with friends!

It’s difficult to study and work at the same time, but it’s definitely doable. The universities are very helpful and there’s plenty of support out there.

Previously, I worked on fish farming in Bangladesh where I assessed the nutritional benefits of fish consumption and the environmental impacts of fish production.

I am now working on project which is based across several European countries including Poland, Spain, Denmark and Ireland. The main aim of my work is to measure the sustainability of using mushrooms as fish feed, and using fish pond sludge (fish poo) as a fertiliser for the mushrooms. This is known as a “circular economy” where the waste of one industry (fish farming) is used in another industry (mushroom farming) in order to improve the environmental impacts of both industries.

I love the work I do! I am constantly learning and developing new skills, travelling to different places, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. I couldn’t be happier in my work-life.

The majority of my work is desk-based, however I will head into the field to carry out surveys with farmers soon. My fieldwork is based in Poland, Spain, Denmark and Ireland. When I’m away on fieldwork my days look very different…

I will travel around, speaking to different people such as government officials, farmers, consumers, and other supply chain actors. I will collect data on farm production values, the energy used at the farm, and other inputs such as fish feed and fertilisers etc. Often when I’m away on fieldwork I will spend time with locals, going for food and drinks and visiting local places of significance.

After the fieldwork is complete, I return home to Glasgow and start on the data analysis and report writing. Back to the home-based work which allows me to act as a taxi driver for my partner again!