Post PhD Profile; Jesu a Marine Reserves Ranger.

Kick starting a brand new segment on dr.ofwhat. As some of you who have been reading the blog for a while may be aware, I have finished my PhD and are in the early stages (2 years) of my post PhD journey. It is a challenge to know what to do, where to go, what the options even are! So I wanted to start a new segment sharing a range of Post PhD Profiles. We are starting with a bang with Jesu who is a Marine Reserves Ranger. Read all about her journey below. If you would like to share you profile, please get in touch – drofwhatinfo@gmail.com

Jesu Valdes (IG @thelatinmermaid)

Job title 
Marine Reserves Ranger, Department of Conservation of New Zealand

Finished PhD in…
December 2021

My PhD project was titled “Effects of mussel farming on Hector’s dolphins: an ecosystem perspective”.

With the decline (or even collapse) of several wild fisheries, aquaculture has become the fastest growing food production sector to meet global demand for seafood. Research has been done on aquaculture-related effects on the marine environment. While fin-fish farming has been thoroughly studied, mussel farming hasn’t received the same attention. My research was the first one to look into potential effects from this industry on the endemic endangered Hector’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori hectori). I aimed for an ecosystem approach and studied the sediment, fish (prey to the dolphins) and the dolphin’s use of habitat in six bays (three with and three without mussel farms) in the northern side of Banks Peninsula in NZ’s South Island. The results I obtained evidenced effects from mussel farming and will contribute to make this industry more sustainable.

What have you done since finishing your PhD? 

I took the role at the Department of Conservation last May as I was finishing my thesis, so it was very hectic doing both things for a while. Since I finished, I have been enjoying my new freedom. I bought my first house and got a dog, so I have been keeping it very relaxed and stress-free, spending time gardening and going on lots of walks trying to recover from the PhD (while spending some time working on some publications).

My PhD project was very broad, as I was trying to assess the aquaculture effects on the marine environment from an ecosystem perspective. I sampled water, mud, benthic invertebrates, fish and looked into the dolphin’s use of habitat using different methodologies. The fact that I used so many different methods, both in the field and in the laboratory, is the reason why I was hired for this role. My main task is to develop the monitoring plans for two marine reserves in our region. The skills I learnt with my PhD allow me to assess the marine environment from an integrated perspective. To monitor the marine reserves, I am developing different methodologies to study different important “themes” such as habitat change over time, abundance and diversity of key marine species (i.e., lobsters, abalone, fish), climate change, ocean pollution, among others.

Good question. I think I am going to stick around at this role for a few years at least. Working for the Department of Conservation is a great opportunity. They have already upskilled me a lot by paying for my skipper’s ticket, diving courses, and plenty of other training which comes very handy for my marine conservation career. I want to develop monitoring plans that allow us to look after our marine reserves and by sharing the data/results with the community I want to encourage and empower people to protect them (and the ocean in general).

The PhD journey was a hard one for me, so a Post-doc is not on the cards (at least for now).

What advice do you have for PhD students?
Make sure you pick supervisors that CARE about you as a person (not just about the academic side of things). Build a good support network and prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. There is no degree in the world that is worth ruining your health for! Be kind to yourself and make time for fun things and the people/activities you love.

This might come across as oversharing, but I really want people to know how hard things can get. In my first year of my PhD, my closest uncle and grandfather died and, because I was in NZ (I am from Chile), I couldn’t even go to their funerals. In my second year, my ex-boyfriend (who was also doing a PhD) and I broke up after seven years together and I came back from fieldwork to no home. In my third year, my mom got sick and I had to defer for two months and go home to look after her. Then came the social uprising in my home country (with violent repression from the government with students being killed or purposely blinded with riot bullets) and finally the COVID-19 pandemic as the cherry on top of the cake.

I knew that the PhD would be academically challenging, but I never imagined how hard my personal life could get with all these unfortunate events. I ended up taking 5 years to finish.

I want people that might be struggling with their PhDs to remember that they are NOT ALONE and that no matter how hard things might seem THEY CAN DO IT!

Please reach out to your people if you are having mental health issues.