Amina’s secondment at the Çukurova University - Adana, Turkey

I am ESR7 of ProRisk project. My PhD focuses on the use of physiological and performance traits of fish as endpoints of effects under the framework of ecological risk assessment. The biomarkers at sub-molecular level are sensitive to stressors therefore I added biomarkers of antioxidant enzyme system (AES) in the study objectives for one of my experiments. I got the training on AES from Çukurova University (the university is situated beside a strikingly beautiful lake, shown in the picture).

A 96-hour toxicity experiment was planned at Adana's Çukurova University, under the supervision of Prof. Dr Gülüzar Atli to learn the analysis of AES. I was thoroughly involved in the sample collection and analysis; the experience was extremely beneficial (pictures of sacrificing the fish, sample collection and analysis with Gülüzar). Moreover, I was also given a tour of the breeding facility of Çukurova university, during which the technician showed me how the eggs are collected from the brooders (the picture of anesthetized fish is prior the egg collection).

Adana is a city in southern Turkiye and is close to some historically significant sites. Gülüzar gave me a visit of the city, showed me the old bazaar, and introduced me to the world’s famous ‘Adana kebab’ and Turkish coffee (picture displays Gülüzar, myself and her husband enjoying an evening tea after a very hectic day). She also arranged a dinner and served me with traditional Turkish cuisines which are typically not in the menu of restaurants (a picture of dining table having variety of dishes).

I had a pleasant surprise one day while dining at a restaurant, the traditional music was played at the back when suddenly the air got filled with babbles and excitement. I looked around and saw people holding phones above their shoulders recording something and then my eyes caught the unforgettable scene of a whirling dervish in the middle of the restaurant.

The lavish and scrumptious food specially breakfast, dogs wandering around in the streets often displaying territorial behavior, shops of exquisite lamps in vivid colors, the golden rays of sun tinting the valleys of Cappadocia, catching a sight of dolphins in the Bosphorus at sunset, densely packed streets of Istanbul, besides the training, are the memories which I have made and saved in the ‘Turkiye Secondment’ folder of my archives.