Hi there! My name is Jason Birt, and I welcome you to the Cert HE or FdSc Marine Biology with Conservation course you are about to start! I hope you get out of the course as much as you want to. I hope that it inspires you to follow the direction you want to go in, or to follow a new direction. I hope that this course is a stepping stone to the career you wish to have. 

You are about to start a course that covers the breadths and depth of the ocean, to find out why it is so precious and so vital to all life on Earth. You are about to find out why we need to protect and conserve this ecosystem that covers 70% of this planet. 

Additionally, hopefully you will find out what it is about this wonderful ecosystem that has had me enthralled for 40 years – and continues to enthral me to this day! However, it’s not just me. You will be taught by a team of lecturers who are passionate about their subjects and have much knowledge and experience to pass on to you. 

Our marine biology course is a little different. The science is vitally important but so is the ability to education, inform and enthral others. Science communication is the tool we teach you to do this. You will be learning about marine biology, oceanography and marine conservation, like other marine degree courses, but we will also teach you how to educate others, make media and to problem-solve. These are vital skills, and they will make you more employable. 

Newquay University Centre is a small academic site, and this means it is a friendly site, where you will get to know all our names and we will get to know and remember yours. You are not a student number but a person who we can get to know and to tailor our advice to you. We want you to succeed: it means you get to do what you want, and we get to feel good about achieving that! 

Newquay is a coastal site – we have waves that allow for great surfing, lovely sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs and all the habitats that this produces. You have a marine conservation zone on your doorstep. You are walking distance from seas with whales, dolphins, seals and tuna swimming past, brightly coloured anemones and cup corals in rockpools, sea birds diving into the water and an estuary with wading birds feeding and plaintively calling during the winter. You are a drive away from the calmer, more wooded south coast, a coast much contrasting with the ruggedness of the north coast. In Newquay, we have Blue Reef aquarium, and we are next door to the zoo. There is an active marine conservation group. We have tour boats operating from the harbour. These can all, potentially, offer work experience and volunteering. If you can drive, you can access further opportunities in Padstow or Gweek, home of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary. Cornwall has a number of other marine conservation groups. It has a Wildlife Trust active in marine conservation, leading the UK in its publicly accessible marine outreach activities. The National Trust owns much of the coastline. The council administers much of the National Landscapes designations for our coastline. We have numerous other marine protection sites in our coastal waters. We have good relations with a number of dive providers and through Cornwall Wildlife Trust, an active SeaSearch programme open to snorkellers as we as divers. I could go on… You will find out more and more as you study with us! 

We have always found that the more you put in, the more you get out. The more you ask questions in class, the more you will learn and the more fun the classes will be. The more you volunteer, the more you will make connections that can lead to jobs after you graduate. Our site, our locality, our county offers so many opportunities for the new marine biologist – make the most of these! 

My door is always open. Our marine courses make use of Teams for communications – we set up a Teams chat. Or you can email us. Or you can come to the office, or ask questions during, or after, classes. We are here for you, whether academic or pastoral. 

Your classmates may well become mates for life. University study isn’t just about the academics; it’s about the person. Your next few years will make you more complete, if you take these opportunities! 

Again, welcome to the course, welcome to the centre, welcome to Cornwall (if you have moved here) – and welcome to your new career! Best wishes, Jason.

Jason Birt  | Programme Manager FdSc Marine Biology with Conservation