FORMER Dorcan Academy pupil Amy Wakeman is heading to the Black Sea after being selected as a scholar for one of the biggest archaeological maritime projects since the 1960s.

Along with fellow Cirencester College student Tom Davis, Amy from Queen's Drive had to go through a rigorous and competitive selection process for the unique project run in association with Southampton University to be selected as Black Sea STEM Scholars,

The Black Sea STEM project has teams based here in the UK and also on a research vessel based off Bulgaria.

The Black Sea is considered to be one of the world’s finest under water laboratories due to the anoxic (un-oxygenated) layer which preserves artefacts better than any other marine environment. Reaching into the depths of the seas and reading the seabed through geophysical investigations is regarded as a maritime archaeologist’s dream.

Potentially there is the opportunity to reveal intact shipwrecks and ancient settlements, which tell us how human civilisation has evolved.

The seabed will be investigated remotely through the use of sonar and deep sea diving vehicles which are operated remotely.

Amy and Thomas, from Gloucester, had to make a personal statement, write a 2000 word research essay and go through a regional selection day held in Cardiff.

STEM Ambassadors from Southampton University also set a round-robin set of team tasks to complete.

Some weeks later a delighted Amy and Thomas were notified that they had been selected as part of the final 16 to become Black Sea STEM Scholars.

The final 16 students were invited to a week of residential training at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton, where they completed research, analysis, practical work and spent time on a research vessel.

The team then made the decision about which of the 16 ambassadors would be based here in the UK and who would be based on the research vessel in Bulgaria.

Science student Amy will be working on the research vessel and will be travelling to Bulgaria during the first week of September.

Her project will include making an educational video using her self-built drone.

Tom, who is also studying sciences, will be based with the research team in the UK.

Amy said: “The research material will help with our future science goals, we are both hoping to achieve the CREST Gold Award in Science.”

Tom added: "It has been a long application process but now we have had our training and met the others we are really excited and cannot wait to start.”

Although both Amy and Tom are still in their first year, they are already planning their future - Amy is hoping to study medicine and Tom, geophysics.

The CREST Gold Award, will involve a further 70 hours work after the Black Sea project has been completed, during which time they will evaluate all of their research work, prepare a final report and present the outcome of their project to a CREST Assessor.