Ryan Shiels

About Ryan

My name is Ryan Shiels, and I am from Ireland. I recently completed my Bachelor of Marine Science at the University of Galway. Before coming to Marine Dynamics, I primarily had experience in freshwater and coastal systems with some experience at sea.
My time at the University of Galway has given me an understanding of all aspects of marine life along with the biochemical and biophysical interaction within the ocean, while also providing me with substantial time on board the Irish research vessel RV Tom Crean. While on board the RV Tom Crean I participated in fish stock surveys, CTD deployments, underwater video deployment and analysis, and plankton counts. For my Bachelor thesis I studied the intertidal benthic communities of the Irish West coast and evaluated the Ecological Status of the water bodies in question based on species specific pollution tolerance.
Working with nature, in particular the marine world, has been a deep passion of mine from a young age. Coming from an island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Irish Sea, and the Celtic Sea, the ocean has always been a driving factor in my life with its vast biodiversity and wonder. Marine Dynamics Academy’s Scientific Internship has offered me an opportunity to broaden my skillset in the marine biology field and develop previously acquired ones in an ecosystem so distant from that of Ireland. My previous experience as mentioned, has mainly been restricted to coastal bony fish and invertebrate studies so an opportunity to such as that presented by MDA will be vital in developing my skills and experience as an aspiring marine biologist. Ideally one day, I would like to study marine megafauna with particular interest in Elasmobranchs and Cetaceans.