Exciting opportunity for a Ph.D. student to join the Lake Futures:
Enhancing Adaptive Capacity and Resilience of Lakes and their Watersheds
project, funded under the Global Water Futures.
The successful applicant will work in the laboratory of Rebecca Rooney
(University of Waterloo) co-advised by Jan Ciborowski (University of
Windsor) and will enroll in the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biology-
Water graduate program under the Collaborative Water Program, supported
by the Water Institute at the University of Waterloo.
Starting date: April 1, 2018
Stipend: 3 years at $25,000 CDN/yr
Our ability to effectively manage aquatic ecosystems is limited by our
ability to monitor system inputs or to predict the complex environmental
responses. Both conceptual and mechanistic models are important tools in
helping to understand ecological relationships in aquatic ecosystems and
to create hypotheses about causal pathways that can improve natural
resource management. Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) offer an approach that
summarizes qualitative and semi-quantitative information.
The student will have the opportunity to evaluate, refine and develop
FCM models to improve our understanding of the associations between
land-based drivers of eutrophication (agriculture, rural and urban
development) and biological manifestations of concern in Lake Erie
(harmful algal blooms, hypoxia, Cladophora fouling, botulism).
The model pathways showing the strongest associations between drivers
and biological response variables will identify candidate indicator
variables whose association with drivers will be subsequently calibrated
using machine learning algorithms. Identification of appropriate
indicators is a major knowledge gap constraining management of
eutrophication-related issues in Lake Erie. This project offers a
substantial opportunity for the student to work collaboratively the Lake
Erie Management community to plan and undertake co-operative monitoring
in Lake Erie and its watersheds.
To be eligible, applicants must have successfully defended and submitted
their MSc thesis prior to the proposed start date. Applicants should
have strong interests in quantitative ecology and a background in food
webs or nutrient dynamics of aquatic ecosystems. They should be highly
motivated, with the ability to work independently and collaboratively,
and possess strong verbal and written communication skills.
Applications must include a cover letter, C.V., unofficial transcripts,
and the contact information of three references. All documentation
submitted must be assembled in a single PDF file and sent to: Dr.
Rebecca Rooney, c/o Tatjana Milojevic at [email protected] with PhD-
LFWP3-YourName in the subject line.
