The Morehouse Lab at the University of Cincinnati is seeking highly
motivated PhD students to join our vibrant research team. Current
research foci in the lab include the co-evolution of color vision and
color signaling in jumping spiders (https://goo.gl/cyueWW), the influence
of female gaze on the evolution of complex courtship displays (also in
jumping spiders), and co-evolution between male and female reproductive
proteins in butterflies (https://goo.gl/2hg44e). I am particularly
motivated to recruit students interested in this latter research topic,
given the current balance of interests and expertise in the lab, but am
also open to applications from students more attracted to our research
on jumping spiders.

In addition to these new research initiatives, we have a number of
other research projects that could provide opportunities for incoming
students. I am currently adding more information about these on the lab
website: http://secure-web.cisco.com/1u-caslFNDBPMMKsbs8EsXaHAgPQP43jUGjJRSlbvr4GpR40q1tHPtbG_rxCDz4Yctw2CB-2A4SRJF4QYTYpkOBEuq2C1bEVlcmfkVHv6chko7MmrhbcgEcCM66W6fM8kS6p77aL2NW-la56rcQRl8kM9-Wj_F_4cZy-K03fRIBHYuJG35ArcyGPUuXHFcnuQR0MPsqH6hwW8CVFyCvb3UIIbseaLXRdKgt8rSHvxAXMfVoZjLtJ2W3BclS1PbXnleh9MICbd5JFJi-wUMABUnR4Go4DL8u3Xw76BzXhIlgpi9dDQfHydT3QAUI76KwcDsrYCzjevWktFpnEKfSeM9rZO0MMmD1p3l2CZAUhyqNmhabm4nJOqpIr7L6U47h8q8duL6DFRwkQCZeKQjidELAJln_C9zopsKa8cu8Ni7Ztk699K6a7iJEtvNzWnu0Gwx9hg9DRtEN3iSMcK7hsokA/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.morehouselab.com.  Students interested in joining the lab
should contact me as soon as possible (nathan.morehouse@uc.edu) to discuss
their interests and fit for the lab. Please include a brief statement
of your research interests, how they connect with our current research,
and your CV, academic transcripts, and GRE scores if available. Research
support in the form of a one-year research assistantship is available
for highly qualified applicants.

The University of Cincinnati is emerging as an international center of
excellence in sensory biology and ecology. With a strong and growing
faculty concentration in Sensory Biology, Behavior, and Evolution
(http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/biology/research/Sbbe.html),
UC provides a vibrant intellectual environment for research and
student training. Matching research strengths in sensing and sensor
technologies in UC???s nationally-renowned College of Engineering
offer a number of cross-disciplinary training opportunities. Our
Department of Psychology is home to the Center for Cognition, Action,
and Perception (http://www.uc.edu/cap.html), which adds research
dimensions in cognitive science and ecological psychology. In addition,
Sensorium, a regional consortium of sensory biologists and ecologists
established this fall through efforts of members of our SBBE group
(http://secure-web.cisco.com/1xhfhh2ljV6Xnt7b_pJwXtbLkum1IJ6HdCgvhXKdlOqbNoeRn9hv1w3FoC5H7l3GQpbLucOFK8qq4tLdyFYt8pV6DMb_ILaKn3cqkqbQhrVn7Rk-OKAizIvHYDaQLA3Uu0ytks5_rDXoOwhfPC7PVdiCyAnrCrkH2rmYbqE5HnyVRYrAEdhzCsjMe8h_9EH48RyqWVTY-WEIrQPqrdQUU5OownIK6WBM68bktpz1LzyrKTfWCTS8tJUHTTSdS8oS01se6G3W3dE7ODaCoeIsEsPxgn1EpTgkBc4mnh4v41Lm9VKgEsPHi9QPZJzNvNhxxp5pE83E3VPZvUe_rjJ2oHyTnXDr3LByeksVx3MjkZlr53uu9R8vH26PoJHjTpHJiiWSXGl4KRv9GQnnADZaM_KcwIKkjyuIW2fjHAcuAol3O-1-0lLkUCpqOgMiIL2Fiep1FOMn6Y4K9T-DWBy2NjQ/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sensoriumconference.org), offers additional connections to
regional labs, including research groups at Purdue and Case Western.

The Department of Biological Sciences offers competitive support packages
for qualified students. The University of Cincinnati and the Department
of Biological Sciences have a strong commitment to diversity in science
and graduate education. Students from underrepresented ethnic or racial
minorities will be considered for the new Provost Graduate Fellowship,
which provides a 3-year $25,000 stipend plus tuition remission, and
the Yates Fellowship, which awards grants to underrepresented minority
candidates.

The University of Cincinnati is a top-25 public ???research-intensive???
institution and is ranked among the nation???s best institutions for
undergraduate education. Founded in 1819, our campus boasts award winning,
modern architecture and is located in close vicinity to collaborative
resources including the UC Medical campus, Cincinnati Children???s
Hospital, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and the Environmental
Protection Agency.

Cincinnati is a vibrant city on the banks of the Ohio River. The
region is home to year-round cultural and entertainment opportunities
such as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and National Underground
Railroad Freedom Center, as well as numerous annual music and cultural
festivals. Cincinnati is also home to major professional sports teams
including the Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, and FC Cincinnati ???
a new professional soccer team which draws over 20,000 fans per game. The
city is located within the Hamilton County Parks system which provides
extensive green space and opportunities for outdoor activities.

More information about the graduate program in the
Department of Biological Sciences can be found here:
http://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/biology/graduate/future.html

Graduate applications are due January 1. To apply:
http://www.grad.uc.edu/ApplyOnline.aspx

Sincerely,

Nate

Nathan Morehouse

Assistant Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Cincinnati
711H Rieveschl Hall
Cincinnati, OH 45221-0006
Office: (513) 556-9757
colorevolution@uc.edu
http://secure-web.cisco.com/1u-caslFNDBPMMKsbs8EsXaHAgPQP43jUGjJRSlbvr4GpR40q1tHPtbG_rxCDz4Yctw2CB-2A4SRJF4QYTYpkOBEuq2C1bEVlcmfkVHv6chko7MmrhbcgEcCM66W6fM8kS6p77aL2NW-la56rcQRl8kM9-Wj_F_4cZy-K03fRIBHYuJG35ArcyGPUuXHFcnuQR0MPsqH6hwW8CVFyCvb3UIIbseaLXRdKgt8rSHvxAXMfVoZjLtJ2W3BclS1PbXnleh9MICbd5JFJi-wUMABUnR4Go4DL8u3Xw76BzXhIlgpi9dDQfHydT3QAUI76KwcDsrYCzjevWktFpnEKfSeM9rZO0MMmD1p3l2CZAUhyqNmhabm4nJOqpIr7L6U47h8q8duL6DFRwkQCZeKQjidELAJln_C9zopsKa8cu8Ni7Ztk699K6a7iJEtvNzWnu0Gwx9hg9DRtEN3iSMcK7hsokA/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.morehouselab.com

“Il y a un autre monde mais il est dans celui-ci.” – Paul ??luard

“Morehouse, Nathan (morehonn)” <morehonn@ucmail.uc.edu>

Applications are invited for a M.S. or Ph.D. student assistantship at the
Appalachian Laboratory (AL <http://www.umces.edu/al>) of the University of
Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES <http://www.umces.edu/>).
We seek a highly motivated student to join our research into the migration
patterns and population dynamics of migratory bat species experiencing
mortality at wind-energy facilities in North America. The position is based
at the AL in Frostburg, Maryland, working with Drs. Paul Gugger
<http://www.umces.edu/paul-gugger> (population genomics), David Nelson
<https://www.umces.edu/david-nelson> (stable isotope ecology), and Ed Gates
<http://www.umces.edu/j-edward-gates> (bat biology). There will also be
opportunities for interaction with collaborators at Ohio State University.
A M.S. student would matriculate through the Biology Department
<https://www.frostburg.edu/dept/biol/> at Frostburg State University. A
Ph.D. student would matriculate through the MEES <http://www.mees.umd.edu/>
program.

For more information, please contact Paul Gugger (pgugger@umces.edu). To
apply, please email a single PDF containing a statement of interest, CV
(including GPA and GRE scores), and contact information for three
references to pgugger@umces.edu. Applications will be accepted through
December 1, 2017 until the position is filled. The position is available to
start in the fall semester of 2018. Outstanding Ph.D. applicants are
encouraged to apply for an UMCES Presidential Fellowship (
https://www.umces.edu/fellowship-opportunities), which provides up to three
years of stipend, health benefits, and tuition remission.

UMCES is an AA/EOE. Individuals with disabilities, veterans, women and
minorities are encouraged to apply.

–001a113ecaee4330d5055cec8e94
Content-Type: text/html; charset=”UTF-8″
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<div dir=”ltr”><span>Applications are invited for a M.S. or Ph.D. student assistantship at
the Appalachian Laboratory (</span><a href=”http://www.umces.edu/al“><span>AL</span></a><span>) of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (</span><a href=”http://www.umces.edu/“><span>UMCES</span></a><span>). We seek a highly motivated student to join
our research into the migration patterns and population dynamics of migratory bat
species experiencing mortality at wind-energy facilities in North America. The
position is based at the AL in Frostburg, Maryland, working with Drs. <a href=”http://www.umces.edu/paul-gugger“>Paul Gugger</a> (population genomics), </span><a href=”https://www.umces.edu/david-nelson“><span>David
Nelson</span></a><span> (stable isotope
ecology), and </span><a href=”http://www.umces.edu/j-edward-gates“><span>Ed Gates</span></a><span> (bat biology). There will also be opportunities for interaction with
collaborators at Ohio State University. A M.S. student would matriculate
through the </span><a href=”https://www.frostburg.edu/dept/biol/“><span>Biology Department</span></a><span> at Frostburg State University. A Ph.D.
student would matriculate through the </span><a href=”http://www.mees.umd.edu/“><span>MEES</span></a><span> program.</span><span><br><br></span><span>For more information, please contact Paul Gugger (<a href=”mailto:pgugger@umces.edu” target=”_blank”>pgugger@umces.edu</a>). To
apply, please email a single PDF containing a statement of interest, CV
(including GPA and GRE scores), and contact information for three references to
<a href=”mailto:pgugger@umces.edu” target=”_blank”>pgugger@umces.edu</a>. Applications
will be accepted through December 1, 2017 until the position is filled. The
position is available to start in the fall semester of 2018. Outstanding Ph.D.
applicants are encouraged to apply for an UMCES Presidential Fellowship (</span><a href=”https://www.umces.edu/fellowship-opportunities“>https://www.umces.edu/fellowship-opportunities</a><span>), which provides up to three years of
stipend, health benefits, and tuition remission.</span><span></span><br><span></span><p class=”gmail-MsoBodyText” style=”line-height:normal”><span></span></p><p class=”gmail-MsoBodyText” style=”line-height:normal”><span></span>UMCES is an AA/EOE. Individuals
with disabilities, veterans, women and minorities are encouraged to apply.<span></span>

<br></p></div>

–001a113ecaee4330d5055cec8e94–

The Kitzes Lab at the University of Pittsburgh (http://kitzeslab.org) is seeking up to two Ph.D. students to join our lab in the Fall of 2018. Our lab studies species diversity and distributions in human-altered landscapes, primarily using methods drawn from spatial macroecology. Our goals are both to answer fundamental questions about how species organize themselves in space and to inform the practice of conservation in fragmented landscapes.

Our lab is currently involved in both theory-based and field-based projects, and incoming Ph.D. students are invited to work on either of these or to develop their own projects along related themes. Our current theoretical work involves investigating the relationship between spatial scaling metrics, such as the species-area relationship, and point process models. We expect these to lead to new predictions of species turnover patterns as well as multivariate scaling metrics that will predict species diversity in patchy landscapes. Our field projects use autonomous acoustic recorders, placed throughout western Pennsylvania, to study the factors that control bird and bat distributions at landscape scales and to provide data to test our theoretical models. A major portion of this research involves developing algorithms and software to identify the species that are present near each recorder from many terabytes of recorded sound files.

We are seeking applicants with interests in spatial ecology, macroecology, conservation biology, avian ecology, statistics, machine learning, ecoinformatics, and/or data science. Competitive applicants will also have prior experience, though not necessarily formal training, in programming (any language), ecological modeling, or other quantitative research methods.

The department provides competitive financial support for graduate students that includes a stipend, full tuition remission, health insurance, and free access to public transportation (http://www.biology.pitt.edu/graduate/financial-support). Students admitted to the graduate program have typically been offered 5 years of guaranteed support, with at least one year free of teaching responsibilities. Depending on students=92 interests and skills, up to an additional two years of research support may be available from our lab.

Applications are due by January 3rd, but interested applicants should contact Dr. Kitzes during the fall term. Please send an email (justin.kitzes@pitt.edu) that includes a few paragraphs describing the type of work that you are hoping to do for your dissertation and why you are interested in our lab in particular, as well as your CV.

Please see our lab website (http://kitzeslab.org) and the website of the Department of Biological Sciences (http://www.biology.pitt.edu/) for more information about the department, other faculty and students, the university, and the city of Pittsburgh.

Research Internships in Plant Ecology, Archbold Biological Station, Florida

Beginning approximately March 2018 and thereafter; running 8 months.

Applications due Dec. 15, 2017.

Ideal for Students with Undergraduate Degrees Contemplating Graduate School

Includes independent research project. Provides Stipend, Room and Board.

Internships available at Archbold Biological Station in south-central Florida in the Plant Ecology Program, led by Dr. Eric Menges, which emphasizes conservation biology, plant demography, restoration ecology, fire ecology, landscape ecology, and fire management. We study many rare species of endemic vascular plants in endangered Florida scrub and related communities. Active fire management provides outstanding opportunities for short-term comparative studies in fire ecology. Our long-term (as long as 30-year) datasets on dozens of scrub plants gives context to short-term, focused, field projects. A large-scale experimental restoration provides a useful context for restoration ecology projects.  Additional information can be found at the Archbold website:  http://www.archbold-station.org/ or the plant ecology program website: http://www.archbold-station.org/html/research/plant/plant.html or our intern website: http://www.archbold-station.org/html/research/plant/plantinternship.html

Interns live on site and receive a room, breakfasts and lunches, a meal allowance, and a weekly stipend of $100. Each intern works 20 hours per week assisting with a wide range of ongoing research projects. The remainder of the week can be devoted to an independent research project. Internships run for 8 months (can sometimes be extended) and offer an opportunity for experience in every aspect of scientific research, from project choice and experimental design to oral and written presentations. Our internships are ideal preparation for graduate research in ecology. Most of our interns have gone on to academic or professional positions and many have first-authored publications based on their intern projects.

Archbold Biological Station is active in research, conservation, and education. Our facilities include a 5000 ha preserve, an outstanding regional library and a GIS lab running ArcINFO. We have a staff of about 50 with many visiting scientists, an active seminar program, and a relaxed biological station atmosphere.

To apply for an internship in the plant ecology lab, please provide the following: a cover letter stating research interests, a resume or CV, and a summary of grades. Arrange for two letters of recommendation to be sent to us via email. Materials should be sent by December 15, 2017.

EMAIL APPLICATIONS ONLY! Send to Eric Menges at emenges@archbold-station.org<mailto:emenges@archbold-station.org>

Archbold is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications

from members of underrepresented groups

A competitive Graduate Diversity Research Assistantship (M.S. or Ph.D.) is available beginning Summer/Fall 2018 in the laboratories of Dr. Douglas Richmond and Dr. Laramy Enders in the Department of Entomology at Purdue University. We seek a student to study the seasonal ecology of a complex of grass-feeding weevils in the genus Sphenophorus (billbugs) in the Midwest and Intermountain West regions of the U.S. The student=92s research will combine field ecology and molecular techniques to clarify the seasonal life histories of several sympatric species associated with warm- and cool-season grasses across a wide geographic range and provide a foundation for developing sustainable management strategies for these insects. Application of molecular techniques (DNA extraction, PCR, taxonomic identification) and outreach to growers will be an integral part of the student=92s training. This research is part of a multi-institutional, USDA-NIFA funded crop protection and pest management, applied research and development project.=20=20

The Department of Entomology at Purdue is an integral part of the College of Agriculture, one of the world=92s leading colleges of agricultural, food, life, and natural resource sciences, ranked eighth globally in the 2016 QS World University Rankings. The College is deeply committed to the three land-grant missions (teaching, research, and extension), to international activities and perspectives that span all missions. The College has 11 academic departments and includes 325 faculty, 2782 undergraduate students, and 690 graduate students. For more information on the Entomology Graduate Program, Purdue University and West Lafayette, Indiana see:  https://www.entm.purdue.edu/prospective-

grads/, http://www.purdue.edu/ and http://www.homeofpurdue.com/

Interested candidates should contact Dr. Douglas Richmond (drichmond@purdue.edu), or Dr. Laramy Enders (lenders@purdue.edu) by Nov 30th, 2017. To be considered for this position send a C.V., contact information for 3 references and a 1-page cover letter describing research interests and background (use email subject line: =93Grad Fellowship Richmond/Enders=94).

A description of the Ag Research Graduate Diversity Assistantship Program, application process, and deadlines can be found at: https://ag.purdue.edu/arp/Pages/Diversity-

ResearchAssistantship.aspx

I am looking for a highly qualified PhD student to start in the summer of 2018 in the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology graduate program at the University of Nevada, Reno.  The graduate student would be involved in a long-term monitoring project on the butterflies of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and would develop research involving (in part) declining butterfly populations at lower elevations.  The work will be funded through a combination of sources, including RA support for alternating semesters.

The University of Nevada, Reno, is situated on the western edge of the Great Basin at the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada and features a high quality of life, especially outdoor activities and mountain scenery.  See links below for more information on the university, the graduate group, and my lab.=20

If interested, please send a CV that includes names and contact information for 3 references to forister@gmail.com.  Qualifications that are desired but not required include: ability to identify butterflies of Northern California, and experience with large datasets.

UNR: www.unr.edu

EECB: www.unr.edu/eecb

Lab: sites.google.com/site/greatbasinbuglab/

thanks,

Matt Forister

The Coastal Plant Ecology Lab run by Dr. Zinnert has MS openings for highly

motivated students interested in coastal research for the fall 2018

semester. Current funded projects include 1) connectivity among dune/swale

topography and vegetation and 2) feedback mechanisms between the abiotic

environment and biotic interactions on barrier island vegetation. I conduct

my research at the Virginia Coast Reserve Long-Term Ecological Research

site (http://www.vcrlter.virginia.edu/home1/index.php). Interested students

can visit the lab webpage for more information on projects and the lab (

www.cpel.vcu.edu).

The Coastal Plant Ecology Lab is located in the Department of Biology at

Virginia Commonwealth University (http://biology.vcu.edu/) in Richmond, VA.

VCU is located in Richmond, VA on the James River, within easy reach of the

Virginia coastal plain, Blue Ridge Mountains, Chesapeake Bay, and Virginia

barrier islands. Applicants should apply to the VCU MS Program in Biology (

http://biology.vcu.edu/graduate-program/ms-program-in-biology/). The

application deadline is January 15, 2017.

Those who are interested should contact jczinnert@vcu.edu with a CV and

cover letter to discuss the position before applying.

—

Julie Zinnert, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department of Biology

Virginia Commonwealth University

1000 West Cary Street

Richmond VA 23225

www.cpel.vcu.edu

twitter.com/cpelvcu

The Graduate Ecology program at Fordham University has new research opportunities and fellowships available for well-qualified students interested in pursuing a M.S. or Ph.D. starting in Fall 2018. Research opportunities through our graduate program link scientists at our main campus, the Louis Calder Center (our biological field station), the New York Botanical Garden, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Accepted MS and PhD students are eligible to receive competitive stipends, plus full tuition remission. Students may work in many areas of ecology and evolution, as well as applied areas such as conservation of endangered species, ecological and evolutionary effects of urbanization, behavioral ecology, disease ecology, and responses of plants and animals to climate change.

Interested students should contact relevant faculty members or research scientists to discuss mutual research interests via the following websites.

Biology faculty: https://www.fordham.edu/info/24004/faculty

Louis Calder Biological Field Station: http://www.fordham.edu/calder_center

Opportunities at the New York Botanical Garden: https://www.nybg.org/plant-research-and-conservation/tour/graduate-studies/

Opportunities at the Wildlife Conservation Society: http://www.wcs.org/

The deadline for applications is January 3, 2018. Online applications are available from: https://gradadmissions.fordham.edu/apply/

For any questions, please contact Dr. J.D. Lewis by email: jdlewis@fordham.edu

-*-*-*-

J.D. Lewis

Professor and Chair

Department of Biological Sciences

Fordham University

441 E. Fordham Road

Bronx, NY 10458 USA

Louis Calder Center, Fordham University

31 Whippoorwill Road, Box 887

Armonk, NY 10458, USA

Two M.S. graduate positions available to study Michigan interdunal wetland community ecology and population genetics

The Labs of Drs. Tiffany Schriever and Devin Bloom at Western Michigan=20

University seek MS students to work on a NOAA Sea Grant-funded project=20

investigating community ecology and population genetics in interdunal wetlands along eastern Lake Michigan. There are two positions available.=20

The first position will focus on examining the spatiotemporal patterns=20

of macroinvertebrate assemblages. The second position will investigate=20

population structure and levels of gene flow in macroinvertebrates that=20

vary in dispersal ability. Together these projects will seek to understand how environmental variation affects species composition, trait diversity, and genetic structure in a unique and dynamic habitat.=20

Applicants should have a BS in biology, ecology, environmental science=20

or related field. Ideal applicants will be highly motivated, have field=20

experience and be comfortable in harsh conditions with a field crew (2-4=20

people) for 1-2 weeks at a time. The applicant must be able to carry up=20

to 25lbs of equipment for extended periods of time. Two paid research positions to conduct fieldwork will be available starting in March or April of 2018 and continue through August, before starting graduate work=20

in the fall of 2018. Both graduate positions are fully funded for at least two years through research and teaching assistantships with tuition remission.

The Biological Sciences department at WMU is comprised of an interdisciplinary group of researchers that lead competitive PhD and MS=20

programs. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a metropolitan area of=20

~125,000 people located in the southwestern portion of the state. Kalamazoo has 13 thriving craft breweries, numerous biking/running trails that connect parks and attractions throughout the city, a large=20

outdoor Farmers market, and vibrant art community. Kalamazoo is within=20

convenient driving or biking distance (via the KalHaven trail) to Lake=20

Michigan and sits equidistant from Detroit and Chicago.

Contact Dr. Tiffany Schriever tiffany.schriever@wmich.edu or Dr. Devin=20

Bloom devin.bloom@wmich.edu for more information.  Please include your=20

resume/CV, Cover letter addressing your interest in the project, background, and extent of qualifications, and the names of 3 referees along with =93MSc position=94 in the email subject line. The deadline to=20

apply is December 1st 2018.

The East Carolina University (ECU) Fisheries Oceanography Lab run by Dr. Rebecca Asch is currently recruiting new Masters and Ph.D. students to join this research group for the 2018-2019 academic year.  We anticipate accepting one new Masters student and one Ph.D. to join our research team.=20 The Asch Lab=92s research program focuses on interactions between fisheries, plankton ecology, and climate change and climate variability.  Our research approach combines fieldwork, time series analysis, and ecosystem modeling, spanning local-to-global and subseasonal-to-centennial scales.=20 For more information about the Asch Lab, please see: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-

cas/biology/Rebecca_Asch.cfm

We seek students who are highly self-motivated, independent, and creative thinkers that are enthusiastic about pursuing a career in marine ecology, oceanography, and/or fisheries management.=20 A strong background in quantitative ecology, computer programming (e.g., MATLAB, R, Python), and/or multivariate statistics is desired, but not required.  There are several current and soon to be initiated projects that a prospective student could develop into a thesis or dissertation:

=95=09Modeling climate change effects on the distribution and phenology of spawning aggregations of reef fishes in the Caribbean and Indo-Pacific regions. The goal of this project is to evaluate whether spawning aggregations may serve as a bottleneck constraining overall shifts in species distribution.=20 This project builds off an existing collaboration between Dr. Asch and Dr. Brad Erisman at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

=95=09Forecasting of the seasonal timing of spawning migrations of anadromous fishes.  A forecast model for striped bass residing in the Tar, Neuse, and Roanoke Rivers will be developed based on historical data on environmental variables and spawning activity.  Forecasts will then be validated and refined through fieldwork, with a final, operational forecast product to be delivered to fisheries managers and the fishing community.

=95=09Examining seasonal variations in predator-prey interactions among larval fishes and mesozooplankton.  This project will build off existing research in the Asch Lab examining how climate variability affects the seasonal timing of larval fish ingress into Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina.  The prospective student will use ZooScan to develop a machine learning algorithm to classify zooplankton taxa in an automated fashion.  The student will use these data to evaluate whether zooplankton phenology varies in phase with larval fish ingress and whether mismatches in phenology affect fisheries recruitment.

We also welcome applications from students who are interested in developing their own research ideas into a thesis or dissertation, as long as those ideas are closely connected with the research objectives of the Asch Lab.

Information on graduate programs in the ECU Department of Biology is available at: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/biology/BiologyGrad/index.cfm.  Doctoral students can apply to work in the Asch Lab either through the Coastal Resources Management (CRM) Program or the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Biological Sciences (IDPBS).  Graduate students accepted to one of these programs will be funded through either a research or teaching assistantship.  The priority deadline to apply for graduate admissions is January 15, 2017.  However, prospective students should contact Rebecca Asch by email (aschr16@ecu.edu) well in advance of this deadline, preferably by November 15.  This email should include: (1) a brief statement describing your research interests and career goals; (2) A C.V. or resume, and; (3) an unofficial academic transcript.