Putting theory into practice: Lotta Ruha

Putting theory into practice

by Lotta Ruha

Being a part of the University of Glasgow Iceland Expedition has been one of the best experiences of my life. After a year of on-and-off lockdowns and restrictions in the UK, it was strange landing in Iceland, where life seemed to be going on as normal. After five days in quarantine, bonding with my wonderful fellow expedition members, I had a few days in the capital Reykjavík, and then we headed to the East coast of Iceland to stay at the Skálanes Nature and Heritage Centre for six weeks to conduct zoological research. Plastic and microfibre pollution have become an increasing issue in modern days. Not much research into this topic has been done in Eastern Iceland, so I decided to investigate microfibre accumulation in nesting female eider ducks’ faeces and their drinking water sources. I spent two and half weeks of the expedition collecting samples. This included collecting faecal samples from nesting eiders when they left their nests, and collecting water samples from the eiders’ drinking water sources. It felt amazing walking around the colony of hundreds of eiders and feeling a part of the beautiful landscape. As most of my field work opportunities were cancelled for my third year of university, it was good to put all the theory I had learned in class into practical use.

After collecting the samples, I spent two weeks in the lab. It was great being in a lab again and using a microscope to analyse my samples. Microfibres were detected in 77–94% of the faecal samples and in 37–67% of the water samples. Microfibres can accumulate in the eiders’ systems for long periods of time, negatively affecting their health, as microfibres act as adsorbents for toxins. We hope that more research will be done on the microfibre pollution status in Eastern Iceland with future expeditions, so that the extent of the problem can be better understood.

Although I was stuck inside during the sample analysis period, I managed to enjoy my time around Skálanes. When I needed a break from the lab, I helped with the group project studying kittiwakes and fulmars at the large cliff side. Coming from Finland, it was important for me to celebrate midsummer at the end of June. It was lovely teaching my other team

Sampling eider nest Photo: Bethan Hall-Jones