Masters Student Opportunity at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA to work in Barbuda, West Indies. The Ruttenberg Lab at Cal Poly San Luis
Obispo (http://www.marine.calpoly.edu/community/faculty/benjamin-ruttenberg.php) seeks a masters student to work on a project
developing a long-term fisheries monitoring program for the coral reef fisheries of the island of Barbuda. Barbuda is part of the
nation of Antigua and Barbuda, located in the northeastern corner of the Caribbean Sea. The project is part of the Barbuda Blue Halo
Initiative, designed to improve management of coral reef ecosystems (http://waittfoundation.org/blue-halo-initiative-barbuda). The
student will be based in San Luis Obispo, CA, on the California Central Coast, with some travel to Barbuda required. More information
about the Cal Poly Biology Graduate Program is available here: http://bio.calpoly.edu/content/grad-degrees
The primary goal of the project is to develop a long-term monitoring program for local fisheries, including conch, lobster, and reef
fish, but there will be opportunities to explore questions related to these fisheries and the marine ecosystems around Barbuda. Funding
for the project includes tuition, stipend, and costs related to field work.
This is a specific project, and therefore requires a student with a specific skill set, including:
1. Experience living and working in small communities in the Caribbean, and experience with Caribbean culture.
2. Knowledge of Caribbean fauna, including fish and corals.
3. Extensive research dive experience, ideally in the Caribbean.
4. Experience conducting field work in remote locations
5. Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
Desired qualifications:
1. Experience with databases and data management (e.g. MS Access and Excel)
2. Experience with GIS
3. Experience leading field expeditions
Interested candidates should email Dr. Benjamin Ruttenberg (bruttenb [at] calpoly [dot] edu) with a brief description of his/her
qualifications and interest in the Cal Poly MS program and the project. Application deadline for Cal Poly is Feb 1.
