Deep sea organism analysis

[mollykins]

I'm doing my biology c/w on the difficulties of studying marine life that live in deep water.

I'll write about how even if you build expensive submarines etc you can't observe them properly as you'r noise and light is a distraction, so specimens have to be taken (and possible impacts) and then i want to write about tests biologists do on these animals (preferably larger animals rather than stuff like plankton.) But apart from dissecting their stomachs to find what they eat i don't know many of the processes very well.

For example does anyone know (or know of a book/ website) where I can get RELIABLE info about how they analyse the DNA and do other such tests? i don't want to google it and click on the first thing i see which could be totally wrong.

[DTCwordfan]

why not send an e-mail to the Marine Biology Lab at St Andrews University (my old alma mater), Molly. Say that you were advised by an alumni...

They may point you in the right direction and also its no bad thing to do if you are interested in this field.....and it gets a "I am interested in you" dialogue going. St A is one of the top Unis in this field (one relatively recent grad is Jacques Cousteau's grandson)

[DTCwordfan]

[email protected] is the e-mail

[mollykins]

Thanks :) how long do you think it'll take them to get back? the first draft has to be handed in in about 3 weeks time . . .

[mollykins]

I'll make it quite formal, yet making me seem enthusiatic how should i sign it? Yours gratefully . . . . ???

[boxtops]

Tell them your deadline molly, at least they might send you some references. Some of these organisations are quite keen to help students.

[mollykins]

And how should i start would be a better place to begin! dear sir/madam, to whom it may concern or what?

[sherrardk]

Why don't you go to their website and find a relevant person to address your query to? If you use their name then the salutation is 'yours sincerely' and if you use 'dear sir/madam' then you end it 'yours faithfully'.

[DTCwordfan]

I would send it as an e-mail

Dear Sir, Madam

Please direct this e-mail to the relevant member of staff who is involved with Deep Sea Organism study. Then the text, and yours gratefully is fine and, as suggested by boxtops, put in your deadline and also what year you are in.....so they can get their pitch right.......

They do have a list of folk and their general area on their web site - just google St Andrews Marine Biology.

The lab is right next to the old pier and harbour at St A and the students walk the top of the pier on Sundays after chapel in their red wool gowns....

I think that you may find there is a very quick turn-around. (Don't forget to thank them as well afterwards - I am sure you won't).

[mollykins]

how'd this sound?

Dear sir/madam,

Please direct this e-mail to the relevant member of staff who is involved with deep sea organism study.



My name is Nicola and I am currently studying AS level biology. I have recently started research for coursework, but finding information from reliable sources is difficult and thus an acquaintance of mine, who studied at your university suggested contacting you, to see if you could help.



For many years it has been my aspiration to become a marine biologist, so when my class and I were assigned our biology coursework, the first draft of which is due in, in about three weeks and the final draft, at the beginning of April, I automatically knew that I wanted to write my report on a topic to do with marine biology. I decided upon writing about the difficulties of studying deep sea organisms, but am some what lacking information about the analysis of specimens, after the difficulty of obtaining them, with the use of technology such as submarines and ROVs have been overcome (which I will also mention in my report).

I would be very grateful if you could tell me about some of the processes you use to analyse such specimens and what information you can receive about how the organism lives from interpreting the data. I am also currently doing AS levels in; chemistry, maths and geography so wouldn't mind if any of these became quite detailed in your explanations, as I have a sound understanding if them, and am looking to use the skills I have gained from them to boost my comprehension of biology.



Thankyou for your time.



Yours gratefully,. . . . . .

[DTCwordfan]

fine by me - thank you not thankyou - and watch your capitals (sir/madam)
Your para "I would be grateful" - I would add something after your first line of this para - something about "or could you direct me to any particular books, text or web material that I should take into account in my study."

[DTCwordfan]

Let me know if they get back to you - which they should. I would given them a week before a gentle reminder.....but I think they will direct you to someone sooner than that.

[mike11111]

A word of caution. Pay particular attention to the word 'organism' and don't inadvertently omit a couple of letters in your eagerness to type.

[sherrardk]

Could I suggest that you try not to start too many sentences with 'I' and you have put 'my understanding if’ instead of 'of' in the last paragraph. Also, your first sentence sounds like an order rather than a request (as I am sure you intended it to).

[DTCwordfan]

lol - come again, Mike!

[mike11111]

Twice in one night? Too old!

[DTCwordfan]

Yes sherrard is right. Adding I am looking for some help or guidance, or words to that effect, would be better.....

[scotman]

Not a bad effort

I would add that -

In para 'My name is.......
I would change text to 'finding reliable sources of information........'

In para 'For many years.......
It is 'somewhat' NOT 'some what'

[jake-the-peg]

Don't dismiss the small stuff.

The bacteria that grow on the deep water smokers or hydrothermal vents take their energy from the Earth's heat rather than the sun and support an ecology which is not dependant on the sun.

Not only is this a very important exception to the way normal ecologies are based it is thought by some to similar to the way in which life may have first evolved on Earth.

Possibly worth a passing mention even if you don't concentrate on it

[mollykins]

See my english is reasonably good, I can write a formal letter . . . I just sent it BTW.

[jomifl]

Hi Molly, when scientists study organnisms, the kind of study depends on what the scientist is tryng to find out. If the interest is in whether organisms are absorbing toxic heavy metals from industrial discharges then this is what will be looked for, either in the whole animal or parts of it. If on the other hand the interest is in how raised water temperature is increasing the rate of over winter energy use then the animals will have their energy content measured (they don't survive this process). There are many things that can be measured but it is not necessary to measure them all to answer a particular question. Hope this helps. If you have any more specific questions just ask.