MSc Island Biodiversity and Conservation – taught in Jersey

Are you interested in biodiversity? The unique twists that an island environment can produce?

7th April 2019

Look no further than the incredible new opportunity to study an MSc in Island Biodiversity and Conservation delivered by the Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies and is accredited by the University of Exeter. Spoiler alert – if I didn’t have my job at the Record Centre I’d be applying for this! Full details of the course can be found here: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/biosciences/island-biodiversity/

Bursaries available

The JBC/JBG are offering bursaries for Jersey based projects to try to fill our data gaps.

Abundance and distribution of shrews in Jersey (Jersey Biodiversity Centre) – £2,500 bursary

Jersey is the only location in the British Isles that is home to both the Millet’s Shrew Sorex coronatus and the lesser white-toothed shrew Crocidura suaveolens. Both species have been trapped as part of Island monitoring plans (in 2000 and 2014) as well as in consultant surveys and research studies. The capture rates of both of these species however is low and further research is required to understand the habitat preference and abundance of these species in Jersey. There is also the opportunity to investigate whether there is competitive exclusion between the two species.

The Jersey Bat Group is also offering this one:

Bats in Jersey’s urban environment (Jersey Bat Group) – £2,500 bursary

Jersey is home to up to 18 species of bats comprising a mix of species commonly found in the UK and more continental species such as the grey long eared bat Plecotus austriacus and Kuhls pipistrelle Pipistrellus kuhlii.

Whereas there are Island wide (iBats and JbatS) and targeted bat surveys (Jersey Bat Group) within Jersey, relatively little is known about bats in urban areas. Working with known roost and bat rescue locations, you will survey the Island’s capital using bat detectors (passive and active) and will utilise Citizen Science in a bat-spotting campaign. You will undertake a desk study assessing the light pollution, tree densities and housing stocks in St Helier to assess whether any of these factors correlate with numbers and densities of bat activity and roost location.