Doctoral position on food webs supporting the Southern Resident Killer Whale
University of British Columbia - Department of Earth Oceans & Atmospheric
Sciences and the Institute for the Oceans & Fisheries
An outstanding doctoral candidate is sought to resolve the pathways and
nutritional dynamics of food webs supporting the Southern Resident Killer Whale
population in coastal British Columbia.
The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population is listed as endangered
under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Threats to recovery of this population
include contaminants, physical and acoustic disturbance, as well as declines in
prey availability and quality. As an apex predator in the Salish Sea, the
survival of SRKW is influenced by food web processes that cause fluctuations in
the abundance and availability of Chinook salmon, their primary prey species.
Declines in Chinook marine survival have reduced the abundance of adult salmon
since the 1990s. Their survival has been correlated with the abundance of
lipid-rich cold-water zooplankton, which are consumed by juvenile salmon, and
support herring and other forage species that are important prey for other
Chinook life-stages. The availability of these important zooplankton species
have been linked to long-term increases in ocean temperature and extreme events
such as the 2014-2015 marine heatwave ("the Blob") and the 2016 El Niño. These
and other changes in food web processes may thus be negatively affecting the
availability and quality of prey for SRKW. In contrast to SRKW's, the Northern
RKW population has increased in size over the last decade.
This project will develop a framework for the food webs that support Chinook
salmon within SRKW's critical habitat, research small-scale variability in food
web dynamics, and provide insight into nutrient and contaminant transfers. Food
webs in SRKW habitat will be contrasted with those supporting the NRKW
population. This research project will be supported by dedicated trawl and
bio-oceanographic surveys conducted in collaboration with the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans. In addition, the candidate will be expected to develop a
Chinook salmon sampling program in partnership with recreational fishers.
Analytical techniques employed will include stable isotopes, fatty acid, energy
and contaminant content, and food web modelling. The candidate will work in
close collaboration with a fisheries acoustician at the IOF. This project will
advance knowledge of regional food web dynamics in British Columbia and
dovetail with the International Year of the Salmon.
The ideal candidate will have a Master's degree in biological or fisheries
oceanography, or a related discipline, and be competent in field work, the
above outlined biogeochemical techniques, as well as quantitative methods.
Excellent English written and oral skills as well as strong demonstrated
organizational skills and attention to detail are essential. Fluency in R,
Matlab or Python, and previous experience with food web modelling will be
beneficial. Innovative approaches to resolving food web dynamics and
implications for nutrient transfer are encouraged and should be touched on in
the motivation letter. Candidates should also demonstrate experience in project
design and implementation as well as strong interpersonal skills (i.e., ability
to work efficiently and collaboratively with colleagues and other students).
Applicants should submit to Dr. Brian Hunt via email:
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>:
· a curriculum vitae;
· copies of academic transcripts;
· reprints of published papers;
· a letter of motivation; and
· the names and contact details of three references.
Start date: September 2018
A fellowship of $25k per year for four years will be provided. Additional
support is available through Teaching Assistantships and departmental
scholarships.
The position will be conditional on the chosen candidate's successful
acceptance into the doctoral program at the Department of Earth Oceans and
Atmospheric Sciences at UBC's Vancouver campus.
Equity and diversity are essential for academic excellence. An open and
diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been
underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of
groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C.
Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or
expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or
family status, age, and/or status as a First Nations, Metis, Inuit, or
Indigenous person.
Sheila J. Thornton, Ph.D
Research Scientist, Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD), Science Branch
Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Government of Canada
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> / Tel:
604-364-5917
Scientifique de recherches, Division des sciences de l'écosystème, Sciences
Pêches et Océans Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> / Tel:
604-364-5917
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