The team gathered in Freetown to start fieldwork for the project. After a tour of the Sierra Leone River Estuary, meeting different communities and seeing the different mangrove stands, we headed to Tasso Island to start the research.

It was great traveling in an interdisciplinary team, and comparing notes from our different perspectives each evening. Also interesting comparing the different physical challenges that come from different types of research – would you rather spend your day hauling your way though deep mud, or sit all day in hard plastic chairs?

Tasso Island was an interesting base to explore the estuary. There is a community-based ecotourism project on the island (which provided our accommodation), although I think the two tourists that turned up where bemused to share their island retreat with a large research group!

Then on to the Sherbro Estuary in the south of the country. Much bigger mangroves here (and hornbills!).