Seeking assistants for
research on tropical dolphins in Bunbury, Western Australia.
Dates: commences 31 August 2013 for several months (ends early 2014).
Project title: South West Marine Research
Program long term monitoring project.
Institution: Cetacean Research Unit, Murdoch
University - www.mucru.org
Overview: I am seeking experienced field
assistants to assist with boat-based photo-ID and behaviour analysis in south-west
Australia from 31
August 2013. This is a long term project, 7 years so far, with the
current phase extending into 2014. A minimum commitment of 5 weeks is expected,
though longer stays are preferred.
The South West Marine Research Program is a long-term, multifaceted project on the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins of South West Australia. This program is based in Bunbury (south of Perth) and is a collaboration between Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit and numerous industry and non-profit partners. The research, of PhD and masters students, focuses on dolphin population dynamics, abundance, social structure and behaviour, habitat use, conservation genetics and foraging ecology.
Long-term data will be collected and used to investigate population dynamics and habitat use, in order to aid in future conservation and management efforts. Benthic habitat mapping and photo identification fieldwork is conducted from Busselton to Binningyup within a 540km2 area consisting of coastal beaches, inshore bays, estuarine inlets and a river.
http://mucru.org/research-projects/south-west-marine-researchprogram/
This is an opportunity to gain experience in
field techniques for small cetacean research, while contributing to a project
with a high conservation and management value.
Location: Bunbury is a small city, approx. 1
hour South of Perth. The project will be
based in the Dolphin Discovery Centre, where Murdoch have office facilities.
Duties: Field work will involve searching for
dolphins, driving the boat, taking photos, making and recording field
observations, equipment cleaning and basic maintenance. Fieldwork is highly
weather dependent and will vary between weekdays and weekends. When weather
permits days on the water could be long and on consecutive days.