Estimating spatial and temporal patterns in density of harbour porpoises
in the North Sea using datasets from passive acoustic ocean observation
networks with data flow to EU Digital Twin Ocean database
University of St Andrews, Centre for Research into Ecological and
Environmental Modelling (CREEM)
Closing date: 4 March 2024. Start date: May - Sept 2024
We welcome applications for a fully-funded inter-disciplinary PhD in
statistics and marine mammal bioacoustics at the University of St
Andrews. This PhD project will use existing underwater acoustic datasets
to monitor the distribution and abundance of harbour porpoises
throughout the North Sea. The PhD project will run alongside a recently
started multi-year, international project, called DTO Bioflow
(https://dto-bioflow.eu). The project will be tailored to suit the
student’s specific skills and interests, building on work developed by
DTO partners to: 1) process available acoustic and visual sighting
datasets to detect porpoise; 2) implement animal density estimation
methods on processed datasets; 3) compare results using visual vs
acoustic detections with an effort to integrate data from both sources;
and (4) use spatial and temporal modelling methods to investigate how
patterns in porpoise densities vary with biological and physical
oceanographic variables.
Project supervisors are Professor Len Thomas (CREEM), Professor Peter
Tyack (Sea Mammal Research Unit, SMRU) and Dr. Jamie Macaulay (SMRU).
The student will matriculate in the School of Mathematics and Statistics.
The ideal applicant will have excellent academic credentials, strong
university-level training in statistics and signal processing, a
demonstrated interest in statistical ecology and marine mammal
bioacoustics and evidence of contributions to the wider research
community. Applications are particularly welcome from candidates
belonging to a group that has been historically under-represented in
statistics and biology programmes at St Andrews. For more details of
the position, our selection criteria and how to apply, please see
https://stats.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/files/2024/02/DTO_bioflow_studentship.pdf
--
Len Thomas (he/him) [email protected] lenthomas.org @len_thom
Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling
and School of Mathematics and Statistics
The Observatory, University of St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9LZ
Office: UK+1334-461801 Admin: UK+1334-461842
While I may be sending this email outside of my normal office hours,
I have no expectation to receive a reply outside of yours.
The University of St Andrews is a charity
registered in Scotland, No SC013532.
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