A graduate student position (MS or PhD) in the field of marine community ecology is available in the Yeager Lab at The University of Texas Marine Science Institute to begin Fall 2017.
Research in the Yeager lab focuses on understanding the factors regulating marine communities under environmental change to both advance process-based models in predictive ecology as well as inform effective conservation and management strategies. Specific areas of research include: habitat fragmentation effects on biodiversity, terrestrial-aquatic food web subsidies, coastal landscapes under global change, and macroecological controls on functional diversity. We combine field experiments, observational field surveys, and large-scale data synthesis to study the structure and function of a variety of coastal habitats including mangroves, seagrass, salt marsh, oyster reef, and coral reef habitats. The graduate student will work with Dr. Yeager to design their own research project within one of these focal research areas. Graduate students in the Marine Science program at UT typically complete two semesters on the Austin campus before moving to the UT Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas for specialized advanced courses and thesis or dissertation research. Port Aransas is located on the Gulf coast near Corpus Christi. The Marine Science Institute provides opportunities to study living organisms in the laboratory and in their natural habitats. A wide variety of environments is readily accessible, such as the pass connecting Corpus Christi Bay with the Gulf of Mexico, the continental shelf, and many bays and estuaries, including brackish estuaries and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. Extensive wet laboratory facilities with running seawater are available for maintaining marine organisms. There are also specialized wet laboratories and environmental chambers for mariculture, physiology, behavior, and toxicology research. Vessels include the R/V KATY, a 54-foot ship with dredge and trawl equipment for collection of specimens and a fleet of smaller boats for use in bays and estuaries. There are 14 faculty in residence at the Marine Science Institute with wide ranging expertise including the fields of ecosystem ecology, fisheries ecology, microbiology, plankton ecology, biogeochemistry, estuarine ecology, physiology, and organic geochemistry. The ideal candidate for this position will have a BS or MS in a related field, previous field and laboratory research experience, the ability to work independently, and good quantitative and writing skills. To be considered, please contact Dr. Lauren Yeager by November 1st via email ( [email protected]) with the following information: CV, GPA and GRE scores, brief statement of research experience, interests and career goals, and contact information for 2-3 references. Prospective students from under-represented minorities in marine science (African Americans, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and Alaska/Native Americans) are encouraged to contact me. For more information on research in the Yeager lab, please visit my lab website at: https://sites.cns.utexas.edu/yeagerlab/. For information regarding the graduate program at the UT Marine Science Institute, please visit: https://utmsi.utexas.edu/academics/graduate. -- Lauren Yeager Assistant Professor UT Marine Science Institute
