Dear MARMAM community,
Thrilled to share an exciting new
PhD position that was advertised a few days ago:
PhD: Tide-dependent foraging behaviour of marine mammals and seabirds in relation to anthropogenic and natural discontinuities
Host institute: Wageningen University & Research (WUR)
Deadline to apply: 21 July 2025
The project focuses on how tidal dynamics influence foraging patterns in marine top predators, and how these behaviours intersect with both natural features (like fronts and tidal mixing zones) and human activities
(like offshore wind farms). It’s a great opportunity for someone with a background in marine ecology, strong stats/spatial skills (R/R‑Studio), and interest in offshore fieldwork.
Project Focus:
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Analyse GPS‑tracking data of seals (grey & harbour seals) and seabirds (sandwich terns) in the North Sea.
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Examine how their foraging activities vary with tidal currents, natural habitat boundaries, and human-made structures—particularly offshore wind farms.
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Conduct 10–20 days of fieldwork at sea, including vessel‑based and drone‑based surveys.
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Integrate empirical data into ecological models to assess broader ecosystem impacts.
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Publish results, present at conferences, and mentor BSc/MSc students.
Context:
This position is part of the NO‑REGRETS project, funded by NWO, in collaboration with institutions like NIOZ, TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, Naturalis, and UvA. The goal: assess and predict how offshore wind farms, fisheries, and other marine uses might transform
North Sea ecosystems—from physical dynamics to top predator foraging.
🧑🎓 Who Should Apply?
Candidates with an MSc in biology, marine biology, ecology, environmental science (or related), strong stats/spatial skills (R), and interest in offshore fieldwork.
The position offers full funding, a competitive salary (≈€2,900–3,700 gross/month), excellent benefits.
Cheers,
Dr Janneke Ransijn
Quantitative marine mammal ecologist
Wageningen Marine Research