I've been in New Zealand for the last six weeks working with @AnnMarieKelly_2 from @ucddublin, Julia Hunn from @Zoology_Otago and @jaypiggott on a #ClimateChange experiment using the "ExStream System".

Here's a quick update with some photographic evidence!

We're running a field experiment with 128 flow-through stream mesocosms to study the ecological impacts of multiple stressors associated with climate change and agriculture.

Water (full of microbes and drifting invertebrates) enters the system directly from the river and gets pumped up to the mesocosms.

We spent a few weeks setting the system up and then we started the flow (left). Shortly after that, microbial and invertebrate communities had found their way into the mesocosms (right), creating 128 mini worlds!

We also went fishing to catch some "top predators" for our mesocosms!

Now that we have 128 mini worlds full of bacteria, algae, invertebrates and fish we can start to test the ecological impacts of individual and multiple stressors in a very realistic setting.

We'll be taking all sorts of measurements over the next few weeks, like recording the insects that "emerge" from the mesocosms because of the stressors.

Here's a stonefly nymph's empty exoskeleton beside the emerging adult!

It's been a tough, but very enjoyable, few weeks - we've been faced with floods, power-cuts and more.

Luckily, we've found a few days off in between the work to recharge. I even got to see @jaypiggott in his element - the mountains!

Wish us luck for the rest of the experiment!