From an Ekman Grab to a Professorial Chair: A Reflection on Environmental Fieldwork, Perseverance, and Gratitude

Abstract

In June 2026, while clearing old papers from my office, I unexpectedly rediscovered photographs taken on 17 April 2002 during an environmental field sampling at Kampung Pasir Puteh, near Pasir Gudang in the Straits of Johore, Malaysia. The photographs showed a much younger version of myself manually deploying an Ekman grab for surface sediment sampling and participating in the collection of mussels from floating structures. My immediate reaction was humorous: Who is this stupid boy? I hardly recognise him! Yet the laughter quickly gave way to nostalgia, gratitude and a deeper appreciation of the long and often unpredictable journey of an academic life. Twenty four years separate the young researcher holding that sampling rope from the full professor of ecotoxicology looking at the photograph today. This reflective commentary uses those photographs as windows into the largely invisible processes through which scientists are formed. Academic careers are commonly represented through degrees, publications, citations, grants, promotions and professional titles, yet their foundations are often constructed through much simpler experiences: carrying equipment, collecting samples, repeating unsuccessful procedures, learning from mentors, working alongside colleagues, making mistakes and persisting when the eventual destination remains unknown. The physical demands of environmental field research also remind us that environmental science is not created exclusively at laboratory benches or computer screens. Behind a single concentration reported in a scientific table may lie hours of sampling, travelling, specimen handling, laboratory preparation, analysis and collective effort. Looking back from June 2026, I feel less interested in celebrating the professorial title than in thanking the younger researcher who continued doing the work without knowing where it would eventually lead. I am equally grateful to the mentors, colleagues, technicians, field assistants, students, collaborators and family members who became part of that journey. My message to young researchers is therefore simple: do not become excessively concerned with appearing successful or reaching academic destinations quickly. Learn the basics, collect your data carefully, remain curious, respect the people working beside you, preserve your records, accept correction and proceed step by step. An apparently ordinary environmental field day may eventually become one of the most meaningful photographs of your scientific life.

Keywords: Academic Journey; Ecotoxicology; Field Research; Mussels; Environmental Monitoring; Mentorship; Perseverance; Scientific Identity; Reflective Practice

Citation

Chee Kong Yap. From an Ekman Grab to a Professorial Chair: A Reflection on Environmental Fieldwork, Perseverance, and Gratitude. WebLog J Environ Sci. wjets.2026.i1803. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23104176