HONOURS
OPPORTUNITY
with the AUSTRALIAN
MARINE
MAMMAL CONSERVATION FOUNDATION (AMMCF) and DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
AMMCF, in affiliation with Museum Victoria, Zoos Victoria
and Deakin
University, is currently seeking applications from highly
qualified candidates
for BSc Honours 2015 (mid-year intake). The project will assess
the stranding
and sighting records of marine mammals (whales, dolphins and
seals) as a part
of AMMCFs larger biodiversity assessment research program led by
Dr Kate
Charlton-Robb.
Background &
Project overview
37% of all marine mammals are at a
risk of
extinction, with 25% of marine mammal species listed as
‘threatened’. Marine
mammals in the southern ocean face many threats that potentially
impact on
their long-term survival, including habitat degradation,
anthropogenic
activities, over-exploitation of prey species, and oceanic and
environmental
changes. In addition, the loss of top apex predators has the
potential to
seriously impact on lower trophic levels and important ecosystem
functions.
There is a distinct lack of knowledge about which cetaceans
reside in Victorian
waters, making it especially difficult to assess potential
food-web and
ecosystems impacts. Recently, unexpected or rarely observed
species in this
region have been recorded, including pigmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis), shepherd’s beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba).
This Honours project will collate and
assess the
stranding (live/deceased beach-cast animals) and sightings
records from across
Victoria from numerous sources and use geospatial analyses to
investigate the
potential ecological drivers influencing such events; thus
providing critical
conservation and management knowledge for numerous top-order
species. In
particular, this research will provide a comprehensive
biodiversity assessment,
greatly extending our knowledge of marine mammal species in
southern Australian
waters, and potentially identifying rare, unique or endangered
species. This
Honours project will be offered in affiliation with Museum
Victoria,
co–supervised by Dr Karen Rowe and Deakin University,
co-supervised by
Associate Professor John Arnould.
Requirements
·
Bachelor
of Science degree,
with a minimum of Distinction average.
·
Experience
in collecting and
processing ecological data.
·
Proficiency
in Microsoft and
statistical packages.
·
Familiarity
with GIS analyses
and software and relational databases (e.g., Microsoft Access).
Application
Process
Please send
your expressions
of interest containing the following:
1.
A
brief covering letter outlining your relevant experience and the
project of
interest.
2.
Curriculum
Vitae
3.
Current
academic
transcript
4.
Two
relevant
referees who are familiar with your academic, research and
ethical
record.
Please
forward the above to Dr
Kate Charlton-Robb
kcr@ammcf.org.au.
Applications
will
be considered and we will contact you with further information.
Australian
citizen applicants only. Unfortunately given the timing
restrictions of the Honours course we are only able to offer
the project to Australian citizens.
-- Dr Kate-Charlton-Robb Principal Researcher Australian Marine Mammal Conservation Foundation PO Box 2046 Hampton East VIC 3188 e: kcr@ammcf.org.au w: ammcf.org.au