Ph.D. Opportunity in River Restoration and Community Ecology University of California, Santa Barbara Posted: 6 October 2006 Expiration Date: 1 January 2007
A Ph.D. assistantship is immediately available for a highly motivated student to study the ecological basis of ecosystem restoration in aquatic habitats. The successful candidate will work with a multidisciplinary team of geomorphologists, hydrologists, and ecologists on a newly funded CALFED grant that will examine how abiotic and biotic processes interact to influence the recovery of native and endangered species in a restored river. Specifically, our project will focus on the Merced River near the foothills of the Sierra Mountains in central CA, which has been degraded by gold mining and water diversion. Working with government agencies (US Department of Fish and Wildlife, CA Department of Fish and Game), we will explore whether the restoration of physical processes in the Merced River (geomorphology & hydrodynamics) generates self-sustaining habitats that support native species with only limited interventions by management. The successful candidate will be co-advised by Dr. Brad Cardinale in the Department of Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology (www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/eemb/labs/cardinale), and Dr. Hunter Lenihan in the Bren School of the Environment (www.esm.ucsb.edu/people/usernew.asp? user=lenihan). The student will assist with field surveys and experiments, and be expected to develop a dissertation project that compliments the broader goals of this research effort. We would, for example, be especially interested in adding a set of laboratory and field experiments to our research efforts that explore how recovery of invertebrate populations influences the recruitment and survival of salmonid fishes. Because the student will be required to spend extended periods of time in the field conducting research, candidates with extensive research experience are preferred. The application deadline is open, but students who can begin in the spring or summer of 2007 will be given priority. To apply, submit (i) a cover letter that includes a brief review of your research experience/interests/goals (2 pg max), (ii) a curriculum vitae, and (iii) the names and contact information of 3 references to: Dr. Hunter Lenihan Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California, Santa Barbara CA 93106-5131. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Additional information can be obtained by contacting Dr. Lenihan or Cardinale directly via email.
