Postdoc: ecological impacts of the US west coast groundfish fishery The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences has an outstanding opportunity for a postdoctoral Research Associate to join a collaborative project with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA) and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (University of Washington).
The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS), in the College of the Environment, University of Washington, is a nationally recognized institution that provides bachelors, masters, and doctoral instruction to an international student population. The faculty, staff and students of the School support a vibrant and diverse research program, with total annual support exceeding $3.2 million in state funding and $12 million in sponsored research funding. The School also maintains unique field stations in Alaska, and manages small vessels that support instructional and research activities. The University of Washington includes a diverse population of 80,000 students, faculty and staff, including 25% first-generation college students and faculty from over 70 countries. The University seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer students richly varied disciplines, perspectives and ways of knowing and learning. The successful candidate will be encouraged to generate novel research questions related to groundfish fisheries off the West Coast of the U.S. The fishery now collects rich data from 100% observer coverage of catches and discards. Fishery independent information is also available. Projects could include (but not be limited to) assessing the ecosystem impacts of the fishery, developing ecosystem indicators, producing inputs to improve fisheries stock assessments, relating environmental conditions to stock productivity, and assessing the impact of catch shares on the fishery. Requirements: PhD in related field (e.g. ecology, fisheries, conservation biology) Strong quantitative background in statistics, mathematics or programming Desired: Applicants with a strong foundational understanding of ecology, life history theory, animal behavior or interactions between human and natural systems will be preferred. Strong skills in R and data management (e.g. queries) will be useful. The duration of this position is 1 year with the possibility of renewal for an additional year, with a salary of $57,000 per year plus benefits (including medical insurance). The position would be supervised by Profs Trevor Branch and Timothy Essington at the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, in collaboration with Michelle McClure (Director of the Fishery Resource Analysis and Monitoring Division, NWFSC). The position will be based in Seattle, WA. To apply, send a CV, cover letter including a statement of research interests, and 1-3 scientific papers to tbra...@uw.edu by 31 October 2014.
