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 <mailto: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 <https://www.mail.murdoch.edu.au/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.co astalwaterdive.com.au/>