Alex Collington

About Alex

My name is Alex Collington and I have just graduated from the University of Southampton having studied a BSc in Marine Biology.

I have always been fascinated by the oceans and the organisms living in it, and my father used to bring us along scuba diving from an early age.
The moment when I realised I wanted to study Marine Biology however, was on a trip to Bermuda when I visited the Biological Institute for Ocean Science (BIOS). Combined with the scuba diving I was already doing it became clear to me that this was the career path that I wanted to take, exploring the ocean and striving to protect it at the same time.

My main interest within the field would have to be conservation, with the hope to make a positive difference on our impact on the oceans. With the impacts we as humans are making on the oceans I believe it is ever more important to strengthen conservation efforts. Furthermore talking to people and educating them on the environments around them is an aspect of science I enjoy. Educating people is extremely important and so in the future I hope to use both of conservation techniques and science communication to make a concerted difference in Marine Conservation.

I also have a love for sharks, and so working with Marine Dynamics seemed the obvious choice for me. The opportunity to work on the Marine Big 5 whilst in South Africa seemed like an opportunity too good to be true. Whilst lectures and research are obviously important, getting stuck into the practical aspects of the internship (such as working with BRUVs and learning different monitoring techniques) was an exciting prospect and the experience I have gained here is invaluable.