Andrew Twelves

Interactions between ice shelves and phytoplankton blooms in the Amundsen Sea, and their relevance to the Southern Ocean

This PhD was hosted in the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey.

I wanted to do my PhD as part of a cohort working on a lot of different projects from different areas of science, which is what the DTP offered.

What was your research about?

My PhD investigated why phytoplankton (algae) blooms occur where they do in the Southern Ocean.  Specifically, I used computer modelling to test the hypothesized link(s) between rapidly melting ice shelves and intense phytoplankton growth. 

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Andrew Twelves during fieldwork in the Southern Ocean
Andrew Twelves during fieldwork in the Southern Ocean

What made you apply to the E3 DTP?

I wanted to do my PhD as part of a cohort working on a lot of different projects from different areas of science, which is what the DTP offered.   

What did you find challenging in your PhD?

I found the early part of my PhD work highly challenging, but this was what I expected having changed field since my undergraduate.  The pandemic lockdowns came in my third year which changed the way I worked quite substantially, even though I wasn’t doing lab work.  I was surprised by how much I enjoyed conferences, and by how productive they were for me in terms of driving my research.   

Looking back, what would you have done differently?

Given my time again, I would definitely have spent more time on the literature review at the start of my PhD, allowing myself more time to refine my research questions.

I enjoyed the chance to be part of a cohort covering a broad swathe of the earth sciences.  I also had the chance to travel a lot, particularly for conferences, which I really enjoyed. 

Which aspects of your PhD did you enjoy the most?

I enjoyed the chance to be part of a cohort covering a broad swathe of the earth sciences.  I also had the chance to travel a lot, particularly for conferences, which I really enjoyed. 

PhD Highlights

  • Undertaking an Antarctic fieldwork onboard the RRS James Clark Ross
  • Going on a six-week visit at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California
  • Attending the annual European Geosciences Union (EGU) meeting in Vienna in 2019
  • Attending the Ocean Sciences meeting in San Diego in 2020
  • Helping with organising the UK Challenger Society Ocean Modelling meeting in 2019

Which skills did you gain during your PhD?

I think I learnt a lot from tutoring and demonstrating, even though this was truncated by the pandemic lockdowns, and got a better understanding of how to communicate concepts to different audiences.  From being very nervous about public speaking at the start of my PhD I was reasonably confident towards the end, principally due to the number of conferences I presented at.  My programming skills improved a lot also, as this was formed the bulk of my research.   

Doing the PhD showed me that science was a lot harder but also a lot more rewarding – and more diverse ‐ than I had imagined before I started doing research.

What would not have been possible without the DTP?

The DTP provided Overseas Research Visit Funds for my work at Scripps in California, and also supported my policy internship at the UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). 

How has your PhD helped you to decide on a career path?

Doing the PhD showed me that science was a lot harder but also a lot more rewarding – and more diverse ‐ than I had imagined before I started doing research.   

And now?

I am soon (October 2022) going to start an Ocean Modelling job at the Finnish Meteorological Institute in Helsinki.  I applied for the job after completing my viva and interviewed remotely.