A ‘Day in the Life’ of a Field Scientist with Sophie Coxon
Meet Sophie - a marine ecologist currently studying a Masters in marine science and policy at the University of Edinburgh. Growing up on the Scottish east coast, she has worked at the front lines of marine conservation, including seagrass and oyster restoration in Scotland, shark monitoring in Indonesia, and coral reef surveys in Thailand. She is also a passionate writer and aims to unite people with ocean science through creative, engaging storytelling inspired by her research experiences, whilst pursuing a career in reef fish ecology and the inter-relationships with coral restoration. She is currently working in the Maldives on a coral nursery, conducting research for her thesis and recording life as a field scientist in the tropics, eager to share a glimpse of the raw, wild and eccentric nature of this career path. Follow her journey here!
Follow Sophie on her journey working in the Maldives performing field research for her MSc thesis in coral reef fish ecology!
Anticipation - the journey
There isn't a word that captures the emotions I felt, sitting in the airport over a coffee, waiting to board a flight to a tropical archipelago for three months. Knots of excitement, nerves, and anticipation twisted my insides over and over, the background buzz of the departures zone a welcome white noise to quell my nerves. I had done this before, abandoned my city student life in Edinburgh for multiple months of field experience in far flung places, though never with the pressure and pivotal meaning of this trip. I was flying out to Male, Maldives, to complete a field course in tropical reef ecology and then take up a staff position within a coral restoration NGO, where I would collect data for my thesis and work on the restoration project until my visa expired, all of which still felt intangible and unreal.
I was extremely lucky to be in this position; however, I had also worked long and hard throughout my undergraduate and masters degrees and must recognise the effort and willpower it has taken to get me to where I am, and where I'm going. After learning to dive in Indonesia two years ago, I had fallen fast for the sparkling, teeming reefs of the Gili Islands and on my first ever data collection dive, knew this was my purpose, this was what gave me energy, satisfaction, happiness. Combining my love of science and fascination with marine biodiversity, diving as part of a research team became my absolute obsession.
Through hundreds of hours spent applying for grants, funding awards, and scholarships, and also digging into my own back pocket, I have travelled to a variety of spectacular places, and learned a lot about navigating life as a marine field scientist. It is an eccentric, unpredictable and completely chaotic existence - and I love it for this. The constant change, the physical challenge, the lack of any real anchor to a permanent place or role can seem daunting and unstable to some, but for me, this brings excitement and a bit of spice to keep me on my toes.
Despite the (plentiful) challenges, I wouldn't change any part of it; the feeling of freedom, peace, and fulfillment that washes over me every time I descend beneath the waves can't be matched by any other sensation - pursuing a career which demands this was an obvious and natural path. My degrees have paved the way, providing me with a broad knowledge of ecological systems, field science methodology, and scientific writing, as well as ocean policy and the importance of effective communication and co-operation in science. However, I think what has driven me forwards even moreso, causing me to push my limits and test my fears to new depths, is my burning curiosity and need for adventure. If something scares me, I chase it, and this has taken me places I never expected to land in.
Landing in Male was an experience in itself. From the plane window, my first glimpse of the Maldives was gleaming white islands spilled across a shimmering turquoise blue, like oil droplets on water. Touching down on the runway and it seemed as if we were gliding along the ocean surface. The consuming heat, the smell of hot tarmac, and the salt of an ocean breeze flooded my senses, calmed by the immense expanse of pure blue that surrounded the tiny airport - the sky and the sea blurred together on some distant, hazy horizon, making everything else look tiny and insignificant.
For the next three months, I will record my experience in a transparent montage of journal entries, photos, thoughts, and reflections in the hope that I can inspire women who share this passion to pursue it. Women face many challenges in science - but overcoming these can be empowering and transformative, and is essential in the global mission to protect and conserve ocean environments, communities and life. Women carry half of the weight of society - and women deserve an equal share of opportunity, recognition, and respect. I also hope to provide a glimpse of what life as a marine field scientist can look like - the key word here being 'can'; each scientist walks a different road, and the path you pave for yourself is purely unique and very much down to chance and luck, as well as determination and drive.
