Month: April 2018

Summer position as a drone pilot in the Canadian Arctic

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Subject: Summer position as a drone pilot in the Canadian Arctic

We have a unique opportunity in Team Shrub, the research group of Isla Myers-Smith at the University of Edinburgh, to support the participation of a keen early career researcher in our field research in the Canadian Arctic this summer from approximately 10th June through August 15th.  We are looking for someone comfortable flying and learning to maintain drone platforms (fixed wings including an FX-61 build and Phantom 4 Pro/Advanced), with a driving licence and some outdoor experience including hiking and camping.  The recruited person will have the opportunity to participate in a month-long field expedition to our research site on Qikiqtaruk – Herschel Island in the Canadian Arctic.

The drone pilot will join a team of enthusiastic ecologists conducting research in the Canadian Arctic. They will have the opportunity to learn more about global change ecology and the opportunities for students from a variety of backgrounds to contribute to this field. They will have the chance to visit a remote part of the Canadian Arctic that very few people get to see and to participate in research contributing to publications in international peer-reviewed journals gaining key experience for a career in scientific research.

Salary may be available for UK applicants only, but other applicants that are willing to volunteer are encouraged to apply. All logistical costs including travel, accommodation and food will be covered.  For more information including blog posts from previous field seasons please see:
teamshrub.com, https://teamshrub.com/2017/08/10/droning-on-about-arctic-change/

Please send inquiries to Isla Myers-Smith: isla.myers-smith@ed.ac.uk.

MS in Environmental Studies program – UNCW

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Subject: MS in Environmental Studies program – UNCW

The University of North Carolina Wilmington is currently recruiting for the fall 2018 cohort in the MS in Environmental Studies program. The MS EVS is an exciting, interdisciplinary curriculum focusing on linking classroom experience with hands-on fieldwork, and culminating in a semester-long internship with an environmentally related organization (no thesis required). Our program is both challenging and rewarding, with a high degree of collegiality among students and faculty.  MS concentrations are available in Coastal Management, Environmental Conservation and Management, Marine and Coastal Education, and Environmental Education and Interpretation. An Individualized Concentration is also available for those who wish to design their own curriculum in conjunction with faculty.

For more information, as well as a link to application materials:
http://uncw.edu/evs/graduate_programs.html

For more information about UNCW please see: www.uncw.edu.
The application deadline for fall 2018 is April 15,2018.
For other questions or additional information, please feel free to contact me via email below.

Dr. James A. Rotenberg
Graduate Program Coordinator
email: rotenbergj@uncw.edu

Marine Biology Technician – Smithsonian – MarineGEO

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The Smithsonian Institution seeks an energetic, field-oriented marine biologist to support the Marine Global Earth Observatory (MarineGEO)<http://marinegeo.si.edu/>, a growing network of partners collaborating to understand how coastal ecosystems work and how to keep them working in a changing ocean. The partnership is coordinated by the Smithsonian’s Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network (TMON) and applies standardized observations and coordinated experiments to long-term research on biodiversity and functioning in shallow waters. The network includes the Smithsonian’s field facilities in Maryland (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center), Florida (Smithsonian Marine Station), Belize (Carrie Bow Cay Field Station), and Panama (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro Station), and a growing list of partner institutions.
 
Duties:
 
*Provide technical support for a range of field and laboratory activities.
*Field sampling, identification of marine organisms.
*Conduct field and laboratory experiments.
*Prepare and curate preserved specimens and tissues for genetic analysis.
*Deposit and manage specimens in museum collections.
*Maintain and retrieve data from environmental monitoring instruments.
*Manage, enter, and analyze data.
*Assist in preparation and publication of reports, proposals, and manuscripts.
 
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
 
*Practical knowledge of biology and taxonomy of marine organisms and marine research procedures.
*Ability to operate small boats (strongly preferred).
*SCUBA certification and scientific diving experience (AAUS certification strongly preferred, or must be completed soon after accepting the position).
*Detail oriented, responsible, and prepared to work in challenging field conditions.
*Competence in computer use, data entry and management, statistical analysis, and effective writing skills.
*Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
*Facility working on international teams.  Ability to communicate in Spanish is a plus, but not required.
 
Required:
 
*Bachelor’s degree (with Master’s strongly preferred) in Biology, Marine Science, or related field.
*Able to obtain and maintain a valid passport for travel purposes.
 
Position Details:
 
This is not a Federal Position, but has similar requirements and benefits.
Location: This position is based at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (Edgewater, MD).
Travel: Regular, domestic and international.
Salary and benefits: Equivalent to Federal GS 7/9, commensurate with experience.
 
To Apply:
 
Please send application as a single PDF file to MarineGEO@si.edu using the subject line “Application: Marine Biology Technician” in the email.  The PDF should include: (1) a current curriculum vitae; (2) a 1 page summary of career goals, experience, and interests relevant to the MarineGEO program; and (3) a list of three references (name, current title, postal address, email address, and phone number). Reference letters and educational transcripts may be requested from select candidates.
 
Review of applications will begin on 10 April 2018 and will continue until the position is filled.
 
The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer.  Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
 

PhD opportunity at UW Seattle: Interactions among large and small carnivores

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Subject: PhD opportunity at UW Seattle: Interactions among large and small carnivores

A PhD position is available in the Prugh lab at the University of Washington to work on an NSF-funded study examining interactions among large carnivores and mesocarnivores in northern Washington. Wolves and cougars may affect mesocarnivores negatively through killing and aggression, as well as positively by providing carrion food subsidies.
The broad goal of this project is to quantify these positive and negative interactions in an integrative framework. This study is part of a large collaborative multi-predator, multi-prey study that began in 2017. The student will work closely with other PhD students, professors (Aaron Wirsing and Beth Gardner), and biologists at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The student will join a diverse research lab in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (http://www.prughlab.com/).

Although the broad goals for this study have been determined, there is considerable flexibility in terms of specific questions that could be addressed. The project will require intensive year-round fieldwork, involving capture and GPS collaring of coyotes and bobcats, scat collection (for fecal genotyping and diet), stable isotope analysis, small mammal trapping, and monitoring scavenging at ungulate carcasses using cameras. A variety of quantitative approaches could be used to analyze the data (e.g., spatial CMR, movement, behavior, demography).
Collaborators are collaring cougars, wolves, elk, mule deer, and white tailed deer in the same area, providing the opportunity to examine species interactions in unprecedented detail.

Grant support for this project includes 3 years of year-round stipend and tuition, and additional fellowship and teaching assistantship opportunities are available. The student would ideally be available to lead field efforts this summer starting in May or June and begin classes in Fall 2018.

An MS degree, strong academic record, and previous fieldwork experience is required. The student must work well on a large, collaborative team and be able to manage a complex field project with winter and summer fieldwork. Strong quantitative skills and a record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals are highly desirable. In exceptional cases, applicants without MS degrees may be considered. To be considered for this opportunity, please send a cover letter outlining your research interests and qualifications, a CV, unofficial copies of your transcripts, and contact information for 3 references as a single PDF document to Laura Prugh (lprugh@uw.edu). To ensure full consideration, submit your materials by April 15, 2018. Be sure to include your undergraduate GPA and GRE percentiles (NOT raw scores) in your materials.

EEB 4272 Summer Flora summer session class

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Are you interested in plants and want to learn hands-on skills such as plant identification, taxonomy, and conservation?  Does a career in botany or wildlife biology appeal to you? Do you wish your labs were held outside? Or do you simply want to know more about what is in your own backyard?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then EEB 4272 Summer Flora is the class for you! In this 3 credit course (May 29 -June 29), you’ll cover a wide range of practical botany skills and general knowledge in the context of the New England flora. Sign up now while seats are available! Please contact the instructor, Henry Frye (henry.frye@uconn.edu), if you have further questions.

Plant Community Ecology REU in Alpine Tundra

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Subject: Plant Community Ecology REU in Alpine Tundra

The Spasojevic Ecology Lab at the University of California Riverside is recruiting one undergraduate to participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) this summer at the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site near Boulder Colorado. The successful applicant will contribute to ongoing NSF-funded research investigating the role of early snowmelt on plant biodiversity patterns in alpine tundra and develop an independent project on a topic of their choosing within the field of plant community ecology. Please see the Spasojevic Lab website
(www.traitecology.com) for the types of projects that we work on.

Benefits
Stipend is $5,250 for 10-week session, meals provided in a dining hall and a partial food stipend ($30/per day) for the 18 days that the dining hall is closed, housing in a rustic cabin, travel to the program (one round trip, up to $500).

Qualifications
Students must be currently enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year school.
Students graduating before September 2018 will not be eligible.
Participants must be US Citizens, US Nationals, or permanent residents.
We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups in the sciences, first-generation college students, students that attend colleges with limited research opportunities (small liberal arts and community colleges), financially disadvantaged students, students with physical disabilities, and US military veterans.

Application
Please send a cover letter, C.V. or resume, and contact information for two references to markos@ucr.edu. Review of applicants will begin April 15th.

Important Note: Applicants must be in adequate physical condition to live at the Mountain Research Station’s elevation (9,500 feet) and to participate in activities at and above this elevation. For nearly all students, there are no difficulties beyond needing a few days of acclimation. If you have a history of heart or lung problems or have other physical conditions which might limit your ability to participate, please consult with your physician before applying.

Please see (http://mspaso.wixsite.com/traitecology/join-the-lab) for details

Summer Research Assistant in Grasshopper Ecology – Western Montana

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SUMMER INTERN/FIELD ASSISTANT POSITIONS for GRASSHOPPER ECOLOGY IN WESTERN MONTANA
 
The Belovsky Lab has paid positions available this summer to assist with their long-term (30+ years) experimental project in Montana grasslands (NSF: LTREB).  This study uses field experiments to understand how food and predators influence grasshopper behavior and ecology in combination with varying climate.  Field assistants/interns will help with the field portion of this project on the National Bison Range, Moiese, MT.
 
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
The position is 90% + field work.  Assistants will help set up (assemble, catch grasshoppers and stock experiments), monitor, and take down experiments.  Daily work will include monitoring grasshopper densities in the experiments, maintaining experimental cages, and sampling vegetation and soils.  Assistants will gain experience with a wide variety of ecological field techniques, including insect enclosures, soil nutrient manipulation experiments, quantification of herbivore damage and plant growth, and insect behavior.  Assistants also will learn relevant principles of experimental and sampling design in field ecology, as well as identification of key insects and plants in Palouse Prairie grasslands.
 
QUALIFICATIONS:
. Completion of or pursuing a degree in ecology, biology, entomology, conservation biology or related field. 
 
. Capacity to learn identification of grasshoppers and Palouse Prairie flora, including grasses.  Previous field experience with plants and insects is preferred, but not required.
 
. Hard-working, highly motivated, ability to accurately collect data, keep meticulous records, and pay close attention to detail while performing repetitive tasks; ability to work independently as wells as contribute to a positive group dynamic.  
 
. Must be willing to work outside for long periods in unpredictable weather and conditions, some heavy lifting is required.  Also, the ability to deal with a flexible work schedule (i.e., work around weather conditions and phenology of grasshoppers).
 
APPLICATION DETAILS:
2 positions: One position starts May 15 and ends September 30, 2018.  Second position starts Aug 6 and ends Sept 30, 2018. Shared housing is provided near the research site. Travel to/from Montana is not provided.
 
By April 13, please send letter of interest, resume and contact information for 3 references (name, position, phone, e-mail) to Jennifer Belovsky by e-mail belovsky.2@nd.edu.
 
Hiring is through the University of Notre Dame.  The University of Notre Dame is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. 
 
For more information visit the Belovsky labpage – – http://belovskylab.nd.edu
 
 

REU positions in forest invasion ecology

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The Fei lab at Purdue University is accepting applications for 1-2 Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) positions. The undergraduate student(s) will be based in West Lafayette and would work on projects for the NSF MSB-FRA Award # EF-1638702, Modeling Invasion Dynamics Across Scales (MIDAS) in collaboration with members of the Fei lab. Two specific areas of research interest are available, including (1) investigating associations between forest understory invasion patterns and forest tree mycorrhizal types, and (2) determining the influences of forest canopy phenology and structure on plant invasion.
 
The students will primarily be responsible for assisting with tasks related to expanding the current project. In particular, students will be expected (1) to collect species trait and/or remote sensing data, and (2) to assist in analyzing data and producing papers. Preferred qualifications include (but are not required): quantitative and computational skills, and experience with working with GIS and remote sensing data.
 
This is a 12-week position during the summer term starting during the 2nd or 3rd week in May of 2018 and a successful applicant will be expected to work 40 hours per week. Compensation is $6,000 over the course of 12 weeks. A successful applicant is expected to secure their own lodging, meals, and transportation. Students from underrepresented groups and from institutions with limited research opportunities are especially encouraged to apply.
 
To apply: Interested applicants should send a statement of interest, resume, unofficial transcript, and one letter of recommendation. The statement of interest should be less than 500 words and include the following information: (i) professional goals, (ii) interest in position, and (iii) relevant experience. Send application materials in one PDF file to Dr. Insu Jo (jo23@purdue.edu) and Dr. Elizabeth LaRue (elarue@purdue.edu). The letter of recommendation should be e-mailed directly from the recommender with the applicant’s name in the subject line. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications will be accepted until April 20, 2018.
 
 
Elizabeth LaRue, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University

University Field Course Opportunities with Operation Wallacea

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Greetings Dr Elphick,
Described below are some options for overseas based field courses that hopefully will  be of interest for you to offer to your undergraduate groups. For more detailed information submit an Expression of Interest or call our US office (973) 920-0487 and have a chat with Scott Sveiven who heads up the US Opwall team.


What is Operation Wallacea?
Operation Wallacea (Opwall)  is an organization that runs a series of biological and conservation management research programs each year from early June to early August in remote locations across the world. Working alongside a large team of academics and PhD students, these annual surveys have produced 330+ publications in peer reviewed journals.The funding for Opwall programs comes from tuition fees paid by students who then have the opportunity to work with publishing scientists.This approach overcomes issues caused by the short term nature of grant based funding and enables long-term temporal data sets to be gathered in habitats around the world using comparable methods across research sites. More than 250 academics and 70+ PhD students have participated in this program, with resulting data then being used to lever funds for conservation interventions at these sites.

Opportunities for Field Training Courses
The research facilities established by Opwall are available for university training courses outside the normal expedition research season (June-August). The sites identified below all have sufficient local experts, survey equipment and logistics management to be used for 1 or 2 week field courses. Universities and colleges are able to design and plan field courses utilizing key benefits including:

  • Established field sites
  • Access to past datasets
  • Full lecture series (if required)
  • Local support and guides (if required)
  • Bespoke training course
  • Past testimonials
  • Workable project lists
  • Background reading list
  • Completed risk assessments
  • Fully packaged travel arrangements
  • Costs starting at $640 per week per student, excluding travel (one free place for an academic for each 10 students-this place is pro rata).
Mexico – Forest and Marine Courses
Based in the Yucatan Peninsula in forest camps for the first week, this Neotropical forest ecology and conservation course consists of practicals including camera trapping for jaguars and pumas, point count surveys for birds, standard search transects for herpetofauna, Morelet crocodile surveys, scan and focal sampling behavior surveys of spider monkeys, and assessing forest structure. The second week is based at a marine research center and consists of PADI Open Water dive training or a Caribbean reef ecology course with practicals, including sea turtle behavioral studies by diving or snorkeling.

Peru – Amazon Forest Courses
Based on a research ship moored in the remote Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, this Amazonian Wildlife Ecology and Conservation course consists of practicals including line transects for pink and grey dolphins, gill net surveys for fish, point counts for macaws, caiman surveys, water bird transect surveys, distance and patch occupancy surveys of large mammals, camera trapping, niche separation in 12 species of primates, and amphibian surveys of floating vegetation mats.

South Africa – Bush Courses
Based in a range of Highveld, Lowveld and Fynbos reserves, this African Wildlife Management course consists of practicals including distance based surveys of large mammals from vehicles, foot based surveys of browsing and grazing pressure to calculate carrying capacities of reserves, bird point counts, and camera trapping. These courses have the students working with armed guards on foot in reserves for some practicals and includes initial training in bush survey and safety skills.

Indonesia – Marine Courses
Based in the famous Wakatobi Marine National Park, the most published site in the Coral Triangle, this field course includes dive training to PADI Open Water level as well as an Indo-Pacific reef ecology course with practicals focused on 3D mapping software to model reefs, stereo video surveys of reef fish, seagrass and mangrove studies, behavior projects on fiddler crabs and cleaner fish, and artisanal fishery survey methods.

Croatia – Terrestrial and Marine courses
Based in Krka National Park research centre for the first week, the Balkan field course consists of practicals including electrofishing, cave surveys, camera trapping for large mammals such as wolves, bird point counts and mist netting, and reptile surveys. The marine week is based in Mljet National Park, with dive training to PADI Open Water level or the Mediterranean Sea and islands ecology course with practicals including stereo video surveys of fish, sea grass surveys, and tortoise population surveys.

You can find out even more about these opportunities here. Please let us know if you have any questions at all.
Best wishes,
Kirsten