PhD scholarship opportunities – climate change effects on Australian fish and fisheries species
Funding has been obtained from the Australian Research Council for a 3-year project studying the effects of climate-driven range extensions of tropical coral reef fishes on temperate Australian coastal ecosystems. I am seeking several excellent prospective PhD students to participate in various parts of the project. Projects summary: We tackle the Research Priority ‘Environmental change’ by analysing a long-term dataset to reveal the drivers of successful native invasions, experimentally evaluating their effect on fish diversity and productivity, and developing holistic models that forecast their impacts on the near-future distribution and stocks of inshore fisheries species. In a changing world where many people depend on oceans for food and livelihood, predicting the future distribution of fisheries species is one of the big challenges we face. Many inshore fisheries species are being stressed simultaneously by native invasions and ocean warming, but rigorous empirical data and models that can provide reliable forecasts of these impacts are lacking. The project involves field work and/or experimental lab work in Adelaide and along the east coast of Australia (New South Wales), and is a collaborative project between the University of Adelaide, University of Technology Sydney and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Multiple PhD projects are available on behavioural ecology, food-web dynamics (including stable isotope analysis), otolith bio-chronology, community dynamics, population biology, ecophysiology, and (aut)ecology, all of which with a focus on the above project objectives. Research funding is available to support several PhD projects but candidates need to obtain a scholarship to cover their tuition and living expenses. International candidates can apply for an IPRS or ASI scholarship through the University of Adelaide (next deadline: 31 Jan 2017) while domestic candidates (Australian and New Zealand citizens and Permanent Residents of Australia) can apply for an Australian Postgraduate Award (next deadline: 31 May 2017). Applicants with funding from other sources are also welcome to apply. Only excellent candidates will be invited to apply for these competitive scholarships. Successful international scholarship applicants typically have at least a few scientific articles in reputable peer-reviewed journals (with high ISI impact factor), with at least one as lead author. Other requirements are high B.Sc./M.Sc. grades, excellent writing skills, good referee reports, relevant research experience, and being able to operate successfully in a team. Applicants should be native English speakers or show recent evidence of English language proficiency (e.g. TOEFFL, IELTS). The University of Adelaide is a research-intensive university, and one of Australia’s top eight Universities. The School of Biological Sciences has strong expertise across the disciplines of marine ecology and global change biology (www.marinebiology.adelaide.edu.au). Successful candidates will join a dynamic group of students and academics working on climate change at the School. They will perform research leading to a Doctoral degree in Marine Biology. To apply: Send your cover letter, CV, list of publications, and Bachelors/Masters/Honours transcripts to Prof Ivan Nagelkerken ([email protected]; http://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/ivan.nagelkerken) before 6 January 2017. Applications will also be considered after this date for the next rounds of scholarships later this year.
