Estimating spatial and temporal patterns in density of harbour porpoises in the North Sea using datasets from passive acoustic ocean observation networks with data flow to EU Digital Twin Ocean database University of St Andrews, Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) Closing date: 4 March 2024. Start date: May - Sept 2024 We welcome applications for a fully-funded inter-disciplinary PhD in statistics and marine mammal bioacoustics at the University of St Andrews. This PhD project will use existing underwater acoustic datasets to monitor the distribution and abundance of harbour porpoises throughout the North Sea. The PhD project will run alongside a recently started multi-year, international project, called DTO Bioflow (https://dto-bioflow.eu). The project will be tailored to suit the student’s specific skills and interests, building on work developed by DTO partners to: 1) process available acoustic and visual sighting datasets to detect porpoise; 2) implement animal density estimation methods on processed datasets; 3) compare results using visual vs acoustic detections with an effort to integrate data from both sources; and (4) use spatial and temporal modelling methods to investigate how patterns in porpoise densities vary with biological and physical oceanographic variables. Project supervisors are Professor Len Thomas (CREEM), Professor Peter Tyack (Sea Mammal Research Unit, SMRU) and Dr. Jamie Macaulay (SMRU). The student will matriculate in the School of Mathematics and Statistics. The ideal applicant will have excellent academic credentials, strong university-level training in statistics and signal processing, a demonstrated interest in statistical ecology and marine mammal bioacoustics and evidence of contributions to the wider research community. Applications are particularly welcome from candidates belonging to a group that has been historically under-represented in statistics and biology programmes at St Andrews. For more details of the position, our selection criteria and how to apply, please see https://stats.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2024/02/DTO_bioflow_studentship.pdf -- Len Thomas (he/him) len.thomas@st-andrews.ac.uk lenthomas.org @len_thom Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling and School of Mathematics and Statistics The Observatory, University of St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ Office: UK+1334-461801 Admin: UK+1334-461842 While I may be sending this email outside of my normal office hours, I have no expectation to receive a reply outside of yours. The University of St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland, No SC013532.