We have a position for a quantitative ecologist based at the Sea Mammal Research Unit (University of St Andrews) for a period of one year. I would be very grateful if you could forward to potential candidates.

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We are seeking to appoint a post-doctoral research fellow for a period of one year.  The successful candidate will be based in the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) within the School of Biology.
 
The project is funded by INSITE – the INfluence of man-made Structures In the Ecosystem – an oil and gas industry-sponsored initiative committed to developing the independent scientific evidence-base needed to improve understanding of the influence of man-made structures on the ecosystem of the North Sea.

The project, led by Dr Debbie Russell at SMRU, aims to answer two key questions: (1) What is the overlap between, and influence of, anthropogenic structures and apex predators (seabirds and marine mammals) in the North Sea? and (2) Using telemetry data and knowledge of the overlap between man-made structures and predator distributions, what is the prevalence of the use of man-made structures for foraging by seals and seabirds in the North Sea. The project, “Man-made structures and Apex Predators:  Spatial interactions and overlap (MAPS)”, is a collaboration with The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Centre for Research into Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) and IMARES,  Netherlands.

The appointed post-doc will play a key role in answering both of both these questions. To address the first question they will conduct habitat preference analyses.  Addressing the second question will involve analyses of telemetry data from both seals and seabirds.

Candidates with a statistical or modelling background are encouraged to apply. Previous use of telemetry data and survey data, in particular with regards to habitat preference analyses, would be particularly advantageous.

Potential applicants are welcome to make informal enquiries to Dr Debbie Russell, email dr60@st-and.ac.uk, http://biology.st-andrews.ac.uk/contact/staffProfile.aspx?sunID=dr60.