The Journey Begins

Standard Sierra Leone oyster survey kit

So after spending the last couple of weeks preparing for the trip, the journey has finally begun. Right this moment, I've set up camp for the night in a very generously furnished Nero Coffee shop at Heathrow as I wait for my flight in the morning.

The photo is a culmination of my efforts over the past couple of weeks gathering all the equipment I am going to use. It’s a laboratory in a suitcase - 1 portable oven, 25 scales for weighing oysters in all kinds of ways, a manual vacuum pump, secci disc, pH me

ter, as many water sampling bottles as would fit in my case, a pair of horrendous sandals (which I plan to use as little as possible), and more. Notice that I hadn't even begun to pack my own clothes when the photo was taken. Thankfully, Brussels Airlines has a generous weight allowance, and I was

exceptionally well equipped for weighing my baggage.

My supervisor, Francis Murray, has spent hours over the past week developing my qualitative research skills - turning interviews, meetings, or group discussions into numerical figures that can be easily understood. In the past I have been used to counting plankton and measuring temperature, yet this is a new and intimidating field for me. But I am beginning to get my head around it.

I'll admit that because I have spent most of my time buying equipment and reading about qualitative research, I know shockingly little about oysters and mangroves. Thankfully, there is a 7 hour plane ride to solve that problem.

A comfy camp for the night at Heathrow

But the plan, once I get to Freetown (the capital) will be to hit the ground running. We need to identify the range of products of products sold and where they are sourced. But more importantly, we need to learn more about the lucrative fresh oyster tourist market. All exciting stuff.