Private crash courses:
Courses
Using meiofauna as a tool in environmental impact studies
Research design and statistics in life sciences
Courses in management, analyses and presentation of environmental data for companies
Private crash courses in identification of free-living marine nematode worms
5 days beginners course: Initially the student will be trained in techniques to extract nematodes from samples, quantify and sub-sample them and to prepare specimens for high-power microscopic identifications. Then follows intensive anatomical lessons to introduce the major morphological features of the worms. The variability of key identification characters will be thoroughly studied by examining nematodes of different families and from different habitats. The student will be trained in sketching nematodes by using camera lucida and to identify nematodes to family and genus level by using pictorial keys. Training material includes common and rare nematodes from a variety of habitats and locations. Students may bring their own material to be used in some of the practical lessons.
5 days advanced course: Here students will get further training in identifying nematodes to genus and to (putative) species levels. Students will be introduced in the variability among species within genera by examining training material and studying morphological features from the literature. Students are recommended to bring their own material for species identifications. The student will also be trained in building up his or hers own reference library in the form of drawings and mounted type specimens.
Fees:
Course fee is 2000€ and includes all training material, a selection of mounted nematodes from the course and the guide to nematode identification: “Free living marine nematodes by RM Warwick, HM Platt and PJ Somerfield. Synopses of the British Fauna (New Series).
The courses are held in Madrid, Spain and are aimed for students and researchers alike. They are intensive, private (1 to 2 persons at time) and can be carried out at any time of the year in consultations with the teachers.