I am seeking a research assistant for field work from ASAP until
the 20th of November, assistants that can stay and help for the whole period
will be preferred. Assistants will help me in collecting behavioural data in
the field on the bottlenose dolphin population off the southwest coast of
Western Australia. The field work began in June 2009 and will continue to June
2011. Fieldwork will be based just north of the coastal town of Bunbury,
approximately 2hr drive south of Perth.
PROJECT SUMMARY: The project aims to ascertain the population abundance of the
dolphin population in the Binningup region and determine the residency/movement
patterns of the population. It will hopefully also identify critical habitats
for dolphins for particular behavioural activity states and possibly determine
drivers of these. This area is zoned for the construction of a desalination
plant. This research will assist in establishing the long-term viability of the
population.
FIELD WORK: All observations and data collection will be conducted from a
5.9m centre console boat equipped with a 100HP engine. Assistants should be
prepared to work long hours with early starts. Aboard the research boat
assistants will be required to assist in boat handling and data collection and
be expected to participate in the following duties in the lab: data entry,
fin-matching, and database/catalogue maintenance. Field work is physically and
at times mentally demanding but you will have the opportunity to observe and
gain hands-on experience in relation to survey techniques,
photo-identification, behavioural observations and improve existing skills.
This experience will be most useful to students or anyone hoping to pursue a
career in behavioural ecology or population biology.
PREREQUISITES:
1. Be enthusiastic, team oriented, have a positive attitude and good sense of
humour as well as a genuine interest in marine mammal science.
2. Be adaptable and patient as fieldwork is highly weather dependent. This
means office based work during bad weather and long consecutive days in the
field when weather permits and fieldwork will vary between weekends and
weekdays. For every day on the water there are approximately 3 days in the
office data processing. The days you work are very inflexible as it is weather
dependant and having a job while you are assisting is not recommended unless
they are very flexible.
3. Be prepared to work long days in a small vessel in small team of 3 people
approximately 40 hours per week.
Regrettably I am unable to provide monetary compensation or living provisions
and research assistants will be responsible for travel to Perth or Bunbury and
their own living expenses. Pickup from Perth may be possible but is dependent
on arrival time. Perth is the closest airport. We are 2hrs drive south of
Perth in Bunbury. There are trains and buses to Bunbury. Transport within
Bunbury is not provided and is via Bus/Walking/Bicycle.
If you are interested please email Valissa on v.buchanan@murdoch.edu.au and
include the dates you are available, a copy of your CV and a couple of
references.
Cheers,
Valissa Buchanan
Research Assistant - Murdoch University
Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit
447 Koombana Drive Bunbury
WA 6230 Australia
PS For scuba opportunities see www.coastalwaterdive.com.au