PhD Graduate Assistantship
Position Title: PhD Assistantship in Seagrass Landscapes, Coastal
Systems Ecology
PhD position is available beginning summer/fall 2009 for a highly
motivated and qualified individual to study coastal marine ecosystems
with a focus on seagrass landscapes, water quality, and potential
effects of climate change.
Applicant will interact with members of the Coastal Ecosystems Group
(http://www.usm.edu/gcrl/ceg/) and take advantage of a long-term GIS
dataset of seagrass and barrier island maps developed by the Gulf Coast
Geospatial Center (http://www.gcgcusm.org/). Our research activities
center around the monitoring of seagrasses and water quality in the
northern Gulf of Mexico region. In addition, extensive wetlab space and
a seagrass nursery are available for testing hypotheses related to
mechanisms of seagrass decline.
An interest and background in coastal ecosystems, marine science, or
similar is required; and GIS, remote sensing, or spatial modeling is
desired. Ability to undertake long field days working off small vessels
is also desirable.
Location: The Department of Coastal Sciences at the University of
Southern Mississippi is located at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
(http://www.usm.edu/gcrl) in Ocean Springs, MS on the Gulf of Mexico.
Qualifications: Successful applicants will possess a Master’s degree in
environmental science, biology, or geography or a Bachelor’s degree with
relevant work experience. Additional qualifications include a minimum
GPA of 3.5, and high scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Applicants also should have solid analytical and writing skills.
Desirable qualifications include experience with GIS, statistics, and
field work in coastal habitats. A high degree of motivation, good
people-skills with an ability to work as part of a research team, and an
interest in interdisciplinary research.
Salary and Benefits: $19,800/year plus full tuition waiver and health
insurance. Funding for up to three years is available as a Research
Assistant (20 hours/week) on grant-related projects. Interested students
should send a cover letter stating your research interests, names and
contact information for three references, and Curriculum Vitae to:
Dr. Patrick Biber
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
703 East Beach Drive
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
tel: +1 (228) 872 4200
email: [email protected]
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Dr. Patrick Biber
Director, Center for Plant Restoration &
Coastal Plant Research (CPR)
University of Southern Mississippi
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
703 East Beach Drive
Ocean Springs, MS 39564, USA
tel: +1 (228) 872 4200
email: [email protected]
