Dear MARMAM Community, I am inviting applications for two MRes projects at the University of Portsmouth, UK, to start in January 2020. *Project 1: Investigating changing harbour porpoise distributions around the UK* An understanding of the current distribution and drivers of mobile marine megafauna is integral to appropriate conservation management. Harbour porpoise are conserved under Article IV of the Habitats Directive, but are at risk of bycatch in fisheries gear. Large-scale surveys have revealed a shift in distribution, with porpoises appearing to move into the English Channel. In collaboration with the whale and dolphin charity ORCA, this project will use long-term citizen science time series to further investigate the shift in distribution and the environmental drivers, and whether this may lead to greater overlap with anthropogenic threats. This project will be primarily computer-based and will suit a student with strong quantitative skills (i.e. previous experience in R and GIS). *Project 2: Haul-out patterns and anthropogenic disturbance of the Solent seals* The number of harbour seals and grey seals utilising the Solent is increasing. Monthly counts by local monitoring schemes have identified two main haul-out sites, which are vital for seals to rest, moult and breed. In collaboration with the Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Langstone Harbour Board, this project will use a combination of existing datasets and field observations to investigate the environmental and anthropogenic variables influencing haul-out behaviour in seals. This project will have a strong fieldwork component and will suit a student with their own transportation who is willing to spend long hours outdoors, as well as being confident with data handling and analysis. *Requirements:* - BSc (minimum second-class or equivalent) or a Masters degree in a relevant subject - English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 (with no component score below 6.0) *The following would also be advantageous:* - Previous marine mammal field experience - Proficiency in R and GIS software - Strong background in statistical techniques *Application Deadline:* 6pm (UK time) Friday 15th November 2019 *Application Process: *Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the main supervisor Dr Sarah Marley (sarah.marley@port.ac.uk) to discuss their suitability. Candidates will be asked to submit a formal application to the University of Portsmouth and write a short research proposal. Applicants will then be short-listed for interview. *More Info: *Further information regarding entry requirements and course costs are available at https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/mres-science. All the best, Sarah *Dr Sarah Marley * Lecturer in Marine Biology, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth *Email:* sarah.marley@port.ac.uk *| Phone: *+44 (0)23 9284 5012 *| **Web:* https://bit.ly/2RVVd28 *Recent Papers:* Effects of ship noise on marine mammals <https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00606/full> Behavioural and acoustical responses of dolphins to vessel traffic and underwater noise <https://goo.gl/GXmcin> Spatial and temporal variation in dolphin acoustic habitats <https://goo.gl/nxFn1V> Diversity and variation in fish choruses in Darwin Harbour <https://goo.gl/32edkU>