*Postdoctoral Research Associate for Project on Adaptive Management of Herring River Estuary*
The 1100-acre Herring River estuary within Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) has experienced more than 100 years of ecological degradation due to diking and drainage that began in 1909 and has resulted in the almost complete exclusion of tidal exchange to most of the estuary. Uncertainties about how the system will respond to tidal restoration and potential impacts to low-lying infrastructure and other socioeconomic concerns require that a well-planned approach is formulated to ensure that maximum ecological benefits are achieved while avoiding or minimizing adverse effects. A project has been funded for 3 years through the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Resource Preservation Program (NRPP) to support the development of an adaptive management plan for tidal restoration in the Herring River estuary where a new dike and water control structure will be designed and constructed to control tidal exchange as decision makers learn more about how the system responds to interventions. Project partners from USGS, National Park Service (NPS), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) are seeking a postdoctoral research associate to assist in the development of a formalized Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) for the Herring River project which will prescribe a scientifically-based decision support system grounded upon extensive field data and predictive models intended to guide management actions and measure progress toward specific restoration objectives. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in a relevant discipline, including applied ecology, natural resources, engineering or operations research, a record of publishing in high-quality journals, excellent communication skills, previous work as part of a collaborative team, knowledge of structured decision making and/or adaptive resource management, and practical experience in one or more of the following: ecological modeling, estimation, and optimization. Background in coastal ecology and/or wetland restoration would be preferred and beneficial but not required. The duty station for the postdoc has not been determined, but periodic travel to Cape Cod National Seashore to interact with stakeholders will be required. Principal investigators are David Smith (USGS Leetown) and Mitch Eaton (USGS SE Climate Science Center) in cooperation with Tim Smith (NPS-CACO), and Eric Derleth (FWS). Salary will be commensurate with experience. Salary with benefits is funded for multiple years (contingent on satisfactory performance and continued funding). To express interest in the position, please send a letter of interest, CV, and contact information for three references to David Smith ( [email protected]) or Mitch Eaton ([email protected]). Letters of interest will be accepted until the position is filled. David R. Smith USGS - Leetown Science Center 11649 Leetown Road Kearneysville, WV 25430 [email protected] 304-724-4467 https://profile.usgs.gov/drsmith
