Volunteers needed for lab sessions at the Mega Marine Survey

The Mega Marine Survey have found lots of intriguing animals living in our mudflats. As Dr Tan Koh Siang showed during the recent Dialogue Session, a much closer look is usually needed to identify these finds.

So far, only 10% of the finds have been sorted out! Volunteers are needed to sort out invertebrates, fishes and tiny creatures. Each lab session will last about 2-3 hours. If there is interest, volunteers can also learn to help in specimen preparation. For example, to identify worms, their tiny hairs have to be prepared. For snails, their teeth.

Here's more about the lab sessions in Jonathan's email.

Dear volunteers,
As mentioned during the Mega Marine Survey Volunteers' Dialogue, indoor laboratory sessions at Tropical Marine Science Institute's lab at St. John's Island are now up for sign ups. In these lab sessions, you will be able to have a close-up look at the different animals collected at the mudflats under microscopes. You will be able to learn much more about the different mudflat animals and be able to help sort and identify the animals, all in the comfort of air conditioned labs within the premises of the Tropical Marine Science Institute on the idyllic St John's Island.

Everyone is welcome to join us in these sessions, including those who have not had the chance to join us for our outdoor mudflat surveys. You do not have to pay for the boat ride to St John's Island, however, boat spaces are limited hence we can only accept a maximum of 5 volunteers for each session.

The dates for the lab sessions are:
5 September 2011 (Monday)
30 September 2011 (Friday)
8 October 2011 (Saturday)
29 October 2011 (Saturday)
19 November 2011 (Saturday)
25 November 2011 (Friday)

Meeting time for all of the sessions: 8.45am
Meeting place for all of the sessions: Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal (map on streetdirectory.com)

Itinerary for lab sessions:
8.45am Meet at Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal (PPFT)
9.00am Boat leaves PPFT for St John's Island
9.20am Reach St John's Island 9.20am Introduction / Briefing
10.00am Lab hands-on
11.45am Clean up
12.15pm Proceed to Jetty
12.30pm Take boat from St John's Island to PPFT
1.00pm Reach PPFT

Please take note that participants will have to wear covered shoes and preferably long pants as safety precautions when working in a lab environment. Also bring drinking water and some food/snacks.

If you are interested in joining any of the sessions, please email me at jonathan_ngiam@nparks.gov.sg, indicating your full name and also which date you would like to come for.

Please note that the signups for these lab sessions will not be put up on the yahoogroup database. In the event that more than 5 volunteers register their intent to attend any particular session, only the first 5 who registered will be accepted.

Thanks.

Regards, Jonathan

Check out the FAQs for more about the Survey. To join the Survey, register your interest in this form and you'll be invited to join the mailing list to receive updates on the Survey and sign up for Survey activities.