Year 13 Biology Trip

Our Year 13 A-Level Biology students traded the classroom for the coast at the start of term, taking part in an immersive, hands-on ecological field trip to Pembrokeshire, South Wales. The students had the opportunity to use the knowledge they have learnt of theoretical concepts such as succession, populations and biotic/abiotic factors and apply it to practical skills out in the field. During the 5 days they used a range of sampling techniques and equipment to look at how species are adapted and how the populations change depending on their ever changing environment.

On the first day they went to the rocky shore, where they used identification keys and callipers to identify different organisms such as limpets, starfish and crabs. They identified how the populations of these organisms changed depending on how far up the shore they were and how they would be affected by changing tides. The second day was spent looking at how succession occurs on a salt marsh. They used transects to see how the range of organisms and also the types changed as they moved up the salt marsh. By then comparing this with abiotic measurements such as soil pH and moisture levels they could get a better understanding of why certain organisms are able to thrive in these harsh conditions. Finally the students spent the afternoon catching crabs near the shore. They used a capture-mark-recapture technique where they would mark the crabs they were able to catch and then release them safely. They would then see if they managed to catch any of the crabs again who had been marked previously. 

The students were focused and worked hard but also enjoyed exploring this new environment and learning about different organisms that they don’t often come across. The students felt this was a really good experience that gave them a practice for the independence and learning of university life.