*MS or PhD Student– Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s Marine Mammal Research Program* We are searching for a graduate student at the MS or PhD level to join the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab <http://www.disl.org> through the Department of Marine Sciences <http://www.southalabama.edu/marinesciences/> at the University of South Alabama (USA). The selected student will be co-advised by Senior Marine Scientist, Dr. Ruth Carmichael <https://www.disl.org/about/faculty/rcarmichael/>*,* and the Program Veterinarian, Dr. Jennifer Bloodgood, and will work closely with the staff, researchers and volunteers as part of the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN) <http://almmsn.disl.org>. The selected student will conduct research on the effects of water quality on skin conditions in bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops truncatus*) in Mobile Bay, Alabama and adjacent waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Research will focus on pathophysiology of freshwater skin lesions and how the skin microbiome changes in response to these conditions. The student will work in field and laboratory settings, with live and dead dolphins. The required start date is no later than Fall 2021, with an opportunity to join ALMMSN as a research technician prior to matriculation. Candidates must meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Marine Sciences Department at USA. For applicants to the PhD program, an MS degree or DVM with relevant research experiences and outputs (papers, presentations, etc.) is preferred. The candidate should be comfortable sampling dolphins in a necropsy (animal autopsy) setting. The ideal student will have strong written and verbal communication skills, be motivated and organized, and work well independently and with a team. Interested applicants should first ensure eligibility <https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/artsandsci/marinesciences/Requirements.html>, and then contact Drs. Ruth H. Carmichael and Jennifer Bloodgood ( rcarmichael@disl.org, jbloodgood@disl.org) to express interest and discuss ideas before completing the online application process through USA. Please use the email subject “ALMMSN Graduate Student Research Opportunity” and include: 1) a BRIEF description of your research interests as they relate to this project; 2) CV, including GPA, GRE test scores, and 3 references; and 3) a writing sample or pdf of a peer-reviewed publication, if applicable. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab and University of South Alabama value diversity in every sense of the word. DISL and USA are equal opportunity employers and encourage applications from a diverse pool of prospective students. Best, Mackenzie Russell, M.S. Stranding Coordinator Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network