Craig Robertson

Craig Robertson is from Durban, South Africa and studied BSc Applied Marine Biology at Bangor University. He is currently studying for a Ph.D in ‘The functioning of deep-sea canyons on the US East Coast’.

About the course...

I am studying for a doctorate in deep sea ecology in the School of Ocean Sciences (SOS). The course is for three years based at SOS in Menai Bridge, although I am collaborating with colleagues in the US and the Netherlands so will work abroad for some time each year.

Why study at Bangor?Craig Robertson

I found out about Bangor University through searching for suitable institutions to study marine science. I choose to study here because of the university’s proximity to the coast and mountains and outdoor lifestyle. I was aware of established reputation of SOS in marine sciences and the extensive range of facilities and expertise available within the school.

The course...

The best thing about the course is being in control of my own time, work load and the direction of my research. I enjoy working as part of an international research team in the field and in the laboratory.   My involvement in different research trips and fieldwork has been a definite highlight.. SOS has a focus on practical work in the field and the laboratory. My degree included a 12 month internship at the Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and was the highlight of my university degree. There I took part in research cruises to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge working on deep-sea bacteria and North Atlantic working on cold-water coral reefs.  

Life in Bangor...

The best thing about being a student is having access to a wide variety of expertise and resources of SOS and the College of Natural Sciences and having the opportunity to get involved many types of research.

Bangor University has a large a supportive postgraduate community. There are plenty of opportunities to communicate and exchange ideas about your own research with the university community. As a research student, you have many initiatives to assist you in your work organized by your home department or the Academic Development Unit.

Being a Postgraduate Student....

The hardest thing about being a postgraduate student is managing my own time and work load. It’s something I had to get used to and improved with experience. My advice to anyone thinking of doing a postgraduate course at Bangor is to have a look at the courses and staff teaching them. Look at how active they are in their field


The future....

I’m sure that my time at Bangor has propelled me on my way to a career in marine science and provided I stay actively involved, should benefit me long into the future. The opportunity at BU to network and collaborate with other institutions is a strong point of the university in my experience. My plans for the future are to continue in deep sea ecology researching the environmental and ecological processes which influence and shape marine communities found there. Furthermore, I would like to build on our work at BU to establish a strong working group in continental slope and deep-sea research.