PhD studentship opportunity - Marine Ecology Title: Increasing our understanding of climate change impacts on a keystone species in the Arctic: the hooded seal
Project description: Over recent decades, the Arctic has experienced a warming three times faster than the global average, resulting in major changes in ice and oceanographic conditions. These structural changes impact organisms at every level of the Arctic food web from phytoplankton to top predators. Ice seals are considered bio-indicators of the Artic ecosystem health, yet little is known about how ice seals have responded both horizontally and vertically to seasonal and annual changes in the Arctic ecosystem in the past. As the Arctic continues to lose ice, this study will examine future consequences of these ecosystem changes on ice seals. Successful candidates will combine biologging-derived behavioural and movement data, environmental data and simulation modelling to 1) characterize the foraging behaviours of hooded seals using tri-dimensional movement data, their relation to foraging efficiency, and to their habitat characteristics; 2) assess changes in foraging efficiencies through time-series data and their links to population trajectory; 3) build models that predict the future vertical distribution of the Arctic hooded seal. This research will allow us to infer mechanistic links between the ice seals foraging ecology and their physical environment, and better understand the impacts of environmental changes on ice seal individuals and populations from forecasts of climate induced habitat shifts. Qualifications: We seek candidates with an MSc in Marine Ecology, Biology or Ocean Sciences. Rigorous candidate with creative and collaborative spirit that will help foster a collegial culture that is grounded in equity, diversity and inclusiveness. She/He must be highly autonomous and able to adapt quickly to different lab/team/country settings as this PhD is co-supervised between French and Canadian institutions. Proficiency in English is mandatory. The candidate is expected to complete his PhD in 36mo (France requirements). Research abilities: * Programming (proficient in R and/or matlab) * Advanced statistical modelling * Biologging data analysis * Oceanographic data analysis * Scientific writing and communication Location: The candidate will be registered at La Rochelle University in France but will be co-supervised between Dr Tiphaine Jeanniard du Dot from Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chize at La Rochelle University and Dr Ruth Joy from School of Environmental Science at Simon Fraser University in Canada. The candidate will be expected to start their degree in France but to spend time in both institutions/countries in the course of their degree. Start date: March 2023 To apply: Please send CV with references, Statement of Research Interest (1 page) and unofficial copy of transcripts to Dr Tiphaine Jeanniard du Dot tiphaine.jeanniard-du-...@cebc.cnrs.fr<mailto:tiphaine.jeanniard-du-...@cebc.cnrs.fr> and Dr Ruth Joy r....@sfu.ca<mailto:r....@sfu.ca> or contact us for more information. Application deadline: Oct 15th 2022.
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