Science communication is a vitally important component of research. It encourages community engagement and sharing of new discoveries, making exciting science accessible to the wider public. However, it is also a skill that can be difficult to master – how do we make science approachable to everyone?
In this episode, we have a conversation with Mariel ten Doeschate, a PhD student at SBOHVM studying statistical modelling techniques for marine animal strandings data. In addition to her PhD, Mariel works for the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) where a huge component of her work is helping to run their volunteer network and manage the citizen science aspect of the scheme. She also plays a leading role in delivering the annual SMASS Marine forum as well as various outreach events including talks, podcasts (like this one!) and workshops. As the winner of this year’s MVLS ‘Public Engagement: Engaged Early Career Researcher’ award, Mariel talks about her experiences with science communication and discusses how important it is for delivering effective citizen science projects. She also shares her top tips for when it comes to making research interesting and engaging to the public.
Mariel at a beach post mortem with one of the SMASS volunteers.
Mariel at the Belladrum Tartan Hearts Festival 2023 where SMASS had a community outreach stall.
Feature image courtesy of SMASS.
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Intro and outro music sampled from: “The Curtain Rises” and “Early Riser” Kevin MacLeod [CC BY 3.0]