Postdoctoral Fellowship Position: Applications of Passive Acoustic Monitoring for Dynamic Management of Whale-Vessel Strike Risk

PDF

​

​

Posted: March 22nd 2021

Deadline: open

​

Location: The University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick

 

The Davies Lab at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John, Canada, invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship. Research in our lab is highly interdisciplinary, bridging oceanography, ecology and applied conservation science. Our lab is partnering with Transport Canada to study the application of autonomous underwater gliders equipped with real-time passive acoustic monitoring devices to monitor baleen whales, especially North Atlantic right whales, in shipping lanes, as well as study the performance of this system to trigger dynamic management protocols. We are seeking a Fellow with background, expertise and/or interest in marine bioacoustics, oceanography, statistics, physics or engineering to work with the Davies Lab on this project. The Fellow will undertake analyses of field data collected in 2019 and 2020 in two pilot field experiments and develop manuscripts from these existing datasets. Analyses may include examining statistical associations between whale acoustic detections and environmental covariates, and numerical modeling of sound propagation under variable environmental noise conditions. The Fellow will also participate in the design and implementation of additional field deployments in 2021 and potentially beyond, and analyze the resulting data. The Fellow will have the opportunity to learn real-time whale passive acoustic monitoring tools and techniques, glider technologies, and cetacean management strategies. They will also have the opportunity to work with several partners in government, NGO and academic communities and contribute directly to the conservation and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale.

 

This position is open to applicants from all countries worldwide who have completed their PhD within the last 5 years. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

 

The Davies Lab and the University of New Brunswick are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion; all persons with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply and preference will be given to candidates who belong to underrepresented groups. The University of New Brunswick Saint John campus is located on the beautiful Bay of Fundy. The Department of Biological Sciences at UNBSJ is a collegial and research-intensive group with a particular strength in marine biology. Saint John is a vibrant port city with a historical core, great nightlife and restaurants, and access to wilderness and the ocean on its doorstep. This is a grant-paid 12-month position with a competitive salary, benefits and the possibility of extension up to 2 additional years depending on performance and continuation of funding. Please send a brief (1-page) description of your background and interests as they relate to the position, a CV, and contact information for 3 references to kim.davies@unb.ca. Review of applications will begin on April 15, 2021 and continue until a suitable candidate is found.