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University students totalling five from Pembrokeshire, Wales, are to receive scholarships from the Port of Milford Haven – one more than usual – as the standard proved to be exceptionally high this year.

The south Wales port has awarded scholarships on an annual basis consisting of a financial award of £1,500, plus a three-week work placement during the summer. The panel felt that the shortlisted candidates had so much to offer that they would provide an additional award as the winners were so deserving.

The successful students are Amelia Davies from Burton who is studying Business Management at Cardiff University; Fred Smith from Manorbier who is at the University of Bristol studying Politics and Philosophy; Grace Gibbon of Haverfordwest who is at Harper Adams University in Shropshire on a Rural Enterprise and Land Management course; Megan Matthews from Pembroke who is studying Engineering Science at the University of Oxford and Sophie Rees from Liddeston who is on a Gateway to Veterinary Medicine course at The Royal Veterinary College.

Chairing the scholarship panel was the Port of Milford Haven’s Chairman Chris Martin, accompanied by Maxine Thomas, Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding and Learner Wellbeing at Pembrokeshire College, and Sara Aicken, PR and Communications Executive at the Port.

Chris was extremely impressed with the standard of entries to the scheme this year, commenting “We usually award four scholarships but this time the competition was so strong we decided to bend the rules and award five! The winners are studying a variety of courses across a range of subjects all over the country, but all spent the majority of their education in Pembrokeshire, so we’re thrilled to be able to support local talent. The financial award is of course beneficial to them, but the summer placement is where the real value lies as it gives them a flavour of what it’s like to work in a busy, professional environment.”

The 2020/21 scholarship scheme will open for entries in the autumn.

Published in Ports & Shipping

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!