We are currently seeking expressions of interest from PhD candidates to join the MAVE Lab at the University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia:
Project title
A changing Sea Country: establishing an ecological baseline of a key marine predator in Jervis Bay to enable detection of future climate change effects
Research area and project description
Climate change is expected to reshape the distribution and population dynamics of various species within their ecosystems. In the case of key predators such as dolphins, this can cause cascading effects throughout the entire system. Despite these implications, many species and populations lack the fundamental ecological data to assess the effects of climate change on dolphins ranging patterns and population dynamics. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population in Jervis Bay, NSW, is such an example, as no targeted research has been done here since 1998. Jervis Bay is home to a diverse marine ecosystem, and bottlenose dolphins are a key part of this biodiversity. The bay provides a critical habitat for these dolphins, offering them a place to hunt, breed, and raise their young. Bottlenose dolphins are a major draw for tourism in Jervis Bay, as the opportunity to observe these dolphins in their natural habitat attracts many visitors. Dolphin-watching tours are particularly popular, making these dolphins a significant part of the region’s ecotourism industry. Overall, bottlenose dolphins in Jervis Bay are vital for ecological, economic, and scientific reasons, making their protection and study important for the region. Nevertheless, this population has not been studied for more than 20 years. This project will address this gap by investigating abundance, distribution, behaviour and habitat use of bottlenose dolphins in Jervis Bay, thus providing a baseline against which to measure future changes.
Fieldwork will require long hours in the field, including work outside the traditional Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm hours.
While the general project direction is set out as described above, PhD candidates will have opportunities to shape their projects together with supervisors to match their skills and interests. Both domestic and international students are welcome to express their interest. Applicants with a MSc degree and/or first-author publication are especially encouraged to apply.
Required qualifications:
· Applicants will need to hold a 1st or high 2nd class Honours or equivalent in biology, ecology or a related field to be competitive for a University Postgraduate Award (UPA)
· strong analytical and coding/programming experience in R or similar
· excellent verbal and written communication skills
· the ability to work well both independently and as part of a team
Desirable qualifications:
· candidates should be well-read in biological literature, especially pertaining to marine ecology and climate change
· peer-reviewed publications
· field experience in doing boat surveys, flying drones, and using photo-ID methods
· Coxswain license
· Remote Pilot License
The project is a collaboration between the Marine Vertebrate Ecology Lab at the University of Wollongong (New South Whales) and the Cetacean Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Lab at Flinders University (South Australia). The student will be enrolled at the University of Wollongong and be based at Wollongong. They will be supervised by Dr Katharina J Peters and A/Prof Guido J Parra.
To express your interest in this position, please submit the following to katharina_peters@uow.edu.au:
· a cover letter outlining your motivation
· a statement addressing required and desirable qualifications
· your CV
· contact information for 2 academic references
Expressions of Interest close 31st August 2024. We will contact selected applicants shortly after this date and work with them towards submitting scholarship applications. Strong candidates will be invited to apply through the official University of Wollongong admissions process to compete for either a domestic or international scholarship, which pays an indexed stipend of $34,000 p.a. tax free (2024 rate) and covers tuition fees charged by the university for up to 3.5 years. The closing date for these scholarships is 3rd October 2024. If successful, the selected applicant will start in February 2025.
Please contact Katharina_peters@uow.edu.au if you have any questions about this position.