Hi there! My name is Mathilde Setnes. I am 21 years old and currently on the last semester of my Bachelor of Biology at the University of Bergen (UiB). This semester I have obtained an internship position with Laboratorium for Ferskvannsøkologi og Innlandsfiske (LFI) at the environmental department of Norwegian Research Centre AS (NORCE). But first, let’s talk a little more about me.  😉

I was born in Delft in The Netherlands and have also lived a few years in the US and in Austria. Although I am originally Norwegian, I had never lived in Norway before I moved to Bergen to start studying here three years ago. In addition to that, I have just recently returned to Norway after a semester abroad at The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia. I am very fortunate to have grown up experiencing the world through different cultures, languages, environments and challenges. This has certainly played a large role in my development and the resulting social and scientific topics I care strongly for. Hence also why my blog entries will be in English, so that friends from around the globe will have the opportunity to follow along.

Observing Damselfish off Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef. Photo: Karoline Rutle

My hobbies include competitive swimming and SCUBA diving… from which you may already sense a theme. I’ve been submerging myself in water at every available opportunity for as long as I can remember, and studying biology has continued to deepen my interest for marine and freshwater ecosystems. This internship with LFI will be my first experience of applying biology in a professional context. I am especially excited to be working with a branch that specializes in the research and monitoring of freshwater systems and their inhabitants.

Happy biologists on Fraser Island. Photo: Karoline Rutle

Aboard the research vessel Kristine Bonnevie in the Norwegian Sea. Photo: personal archive

Aside from theoretical knowledge, both UiB and UQ have provided me with multiple opportunities to carry out various research projects in the field and in the laboratory. Although I still have much to learn in a professional setting, I feel that I now have a basic understanding of how diverse issues can be solved using biological applications – both practically and theoretically. This knowledge I will bring with me during my time at NORCE and I look forward to broadening my practical proficiencies in the field and laboratory, along with enhancing my abilities to solve problems both individually and as part of a team. From this internship I also hope to improve my understanding of scientific literature concerning freshwater ecosystems and the data it contains, while developing a healthy criticism of published scientific articles that are openly available.

Stay tuned for my next blog entry once I am settled into my internship!