On 13 March and 14 March 2023, the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) confirmed the selection of three (3) candidates for internship training opportunities provided by Ifremer (French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea) in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contract for polymetallic sulphides with ISA.
The selected candidates are:
- Rashida Graham from Jamaica (Environmental Studies)
- Shamirah Hossein from Trinidad and Tobago (MeioScool Workshop 2023)
- Kris Angeli Sanchez from the Philippines (MeioScool Workshop 2023)
1. One (1) internship (Environmental Studies)
The internship will take place within the deep-sea ecosystems’ studies laboratory of Ifremer, in Brest, for a duration of two months (approximately from May to June 2023).
It will focus on the characterization and distribution mapping of the macrofauna of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at inactive vent sites and their periphery, based on the analysis of video footage acquired during the HERMINE 2 exploration cruise in 2022. At the start of the internship, the trainee will receive a short training in macrofauna taxonomy and image analysis.
The activities of the internship will include:
- Reviewing and analysing the Hermine 2 videos acquired around inactive sites;
- Labelling of the macrofauna captured in the videos;
- Mapping the distribution of the different species based on the video analysis and annotation; and
- Analysis of distribution trends and correlations with substratum type, and distance from active and inactive vents.
2. Two (2) internships (MeioScool Workshop 2023 – meiofauna taxonomy)
Trainees will participate in MeioScool 2023 which will take place in “Palma de Majorque” (Spain) from 26 – 30 June 2023, for a duration of 5 days.
The objective of the workshop is for participants to gain the basic theoretical and practical skills required to process samples and identify taxa of the benthic meiofauna. It is aimed at bringing together meiofauna experts, researchers and students from around the globe to:
- Train the next generation of meiobenthologists by providing training on the identification and description of different meiofaunal groups; and
- Exchange knowledge on the biology, evolution, and ecology of meiofauna.
This 2023 session will also focus on image acquisition and automatized identification with theoretical and practical activities. Among the preliminary programme, the different experts will supervise on-board and field sampling, taxonomical analyses, images acquisition on several groups of organisms (nematodes, copepods, foraminifera, kinorhyincha, polychaetes, loricifera). Additionally, there will be a specific activity on outreach and science communication.
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All contractors with ISA have a legal obligation to provide and fund practical training opportunities for personnel from developing States and those of ISA, including the participation of such personnel in all activities in the Area which are covered by the contract.
The legal basis for the requirement stems from the provisions of UNCLOS and the 1994 Agreement and is set out in the standard terms of exploration contracts signed with ISA.
Please visit this page to know more about the Contractor Training Programme.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Annekah Mason, Training Coordinator, ISA, training@isa.org.jm