We are seeking to appoint a post-graduate research assistant for a period of 24 months.  The successful candidate will be based in the Scottish Oceans Institute within the School of Biology.

The ARISE project is funded by NERC as part of the Changing Arctic Ocean Highlight Topic. A key aim of the project is to improve understanding of links between changes at the base of ocean food webs, and Stable Isotope (SI) signatures in apex predators. Such predators may forage on a variety of prey in a variety of locations through the year, adding SI-containing compounds to tissues as they grow and develop. In this project, new data on the foraging migrations of harp seals in Arctic waters will be collected using satellite telemetry. The researcher will be involved in the analysis of new and historical telemetry data, to be related to the spatiotemporal distribution of SI-containing compounds in the ecosystem (the isoscape). The project will be led by Dr Sophie Smout at SMRU/CREEM with collaborators Dr Martin Biuw and Dr Tore Haug at IMR, in collaboration with the SI analysis team working on the ARISE project in Liverpool (PI Dr Clare Mahaffey, and Dr Rachel Jeffreys). This work will build upon substantial experience at IMR and SOI of working with telemetry data, and the physiology and energetics of harp seals. The project will also benefit from statistical expertise in the analysis of movement data at CREEM.

Candidates should have experience working with marine apex predators in one or more of the following areas: analysis of telemetry data and environmental data, movement ecology, foraging ecology. Previous experience in the collection and analysis of telemetry data and/or SI data from marine mammals in the context of predator-prey studies would be particularly advantageous.

Potential applicants are welcome to make informal enquiries to Dr Sophie Smout, email scs10@st-andrews.ac.uk.

The University of St Andrews is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all, which is further demonstrated through its working on the Gender and Race Equality Charters and being awarded the Athena SWAN award for women in science, HR Excellence in Research Award and the LGBT Charter;  http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/hr/edi/diversityawards/. 
 
Please quote ref: AR1886ML

Closing Date: 26 March 2017

Further Particulars: AR1886ML FPs.doc

School of Biology
Scottish Oceans Institute (SOI)
Salary:  £32,004 - £34,956 per annum
Start Date: As soon as possible
Fixed Term: 24 months