Dear Marmam community We are excited to advertise an exciting PhD studentship at University of Otago – investigating the risk to marine mammals posed by offshore wind energy development in Aotearoa – New Zealand Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), in collaboration with research partners, is undertaking an exciting 5-year project titled “De-risking New Zealand’s offshore wind energy: next-generational spatial planning and ecological assessment” (https://niwa.co.nz/research/de-risking-new-zealands-offshore-wind-energy). The project includes a PhD studentship focussing on marine mammals, building the layers of information required for cutting-edge marine spatial planning. The studentship is fully funded for 3.5 years (includes tuition fees and a stipend). The student will contribute to gathering and analysing data on distribution and habitat use of marine mammals and assessing risk posed by development of offshore wind energy on the west coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Data will be gathered via ship-based and aerial line transect surveys and passive acoustic monitoring, complemented by in-situ and remotely sensed environmental data. The student will be based in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and supervised by Associate Professor Will Rayment (U Otago), Dr Tom Brough (ESNZ), and Associate Professor Leigh Torres (Oregon State University) with additional advisers as required. Ideally the candidate will be able to start before July 2026. The successful candidate will have the following attributes (essential): MSc in a marine science discipline Extensive fieldwork experience with marine mammals Experience analysing ecological datasets using R, evidenced by peer-reviewed publication Fluent in written and spoken English Preferred attributes include: Experience gathering and analysing line-transect data Experience gathering and analysing passive acoustic monitoring data Image processing skills, including implementation of AI algorithms Knowledge of species-distribution modelling In order to apply, please send a 2-page CV and 1-page cover letter explaining why you are well suited for the position to will.rayment@otago.ac.nz<mailto:will.rayment@otago.ac.nz> before 21 March 2026. Please note that unfortunately we cannot consider applicants who do not have the essential attributes listed above. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.