Murphy Family Postdoctoral Fellowship in Ocean Conservation
University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada
Project Description:
The Conservation Oceanography and Marine Technology (COMeT) Lab at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, Canada, is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow into our laboratory with generous support from the Murphy Family Foundation. The fellow will conduct novel research that advances the conservation of baleen whales, and particularly the North Atlantic right whale. The fellow will work with numerical models and remote sensing data sets of whales and their prey collected from ocean gliders to study whale ecology and improve the lab's dynamic shipping management support tools. Ancillary data sets from shipboard surveys will be available to help, with opportunities for additional data collection during the fellowship. They will have the opportunity to engage in glider and shipboard field work (tagging, prey sampling, drone work) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy, Canada, engage their research in policy and management processes and work with partners in industry, government, NGO and academic communities.
Qualifications:
A Ph.D. in oceanography, marine or coastal biology, conservation science, or a related discipline. Research areas of the candidate may include but are not limited to foraging ecology, bioacoustics, marine mammal ecology, remote sensing, whale prey ecology, ocean management, mobile predator distribution and/or habitat use. Experience with computer programming, scientific field work at sea, and publishing research are essential. Helpful skills include working with ocean sensors and platforms, data science, and/ or numerical and statistical modeling. International applicants welcome.
Setting:
The lab is an interdisciplinary university research laboratory that focusses on using oceanography and high tech to advance endangered whale conservation. Visit our website https://kimdavies5.wixsite.com/davieslab for more information about our lab and ongoing projects: The University of New Brunswick Saint John is located on the Bay of Fundy. The Department of Biological Sciences at UNBSJ is a collegial and research-intensive group with a strength in marine biology. Saint John is a vibrant port city with a historical core, affordable living (relative to other Canadian cities), and access to wilderness and the ocean on its doorstep.
Compensation:
This is a 2 year postdoctoral fellowship position commencing winter or spring 2027, with the possibility of renewal for a third year depending on performance. The award includes a salary of $75,000* CAD per year plus benefits, and $20,000 per year for work-related travel and training costs which include relocation expenses, travel to partner institutions, conferences and workshops. Postdoctoral fellows are unionized.
*Please note that an earlier version of this ad showed a salary of $80,000. The maximum allowable postdoc salary at UNB is $75,000, so this number was revised
How to apply:
Send a cover letter detailing the evidence that you meet the required qualifications, career goals and fit with the project and lab, a recent CV, copies of unofficial graduate school transcripts, and contact information for 3 references to
kim.davies@unb.ca. Applicants who identify as members of groups underrepresented in science are especially encouraged to apply. Review of applications will begin on September 15, 2026.