Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistantship in Stream Fish Ecology
University of Alaska Fairbanks – Alaska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Responsibilities – Funds are expected to support a Ph.D. student to investigate the effects of fire in boreal watersheds through empirical studies focused on characterizing physical and biological mechanisms driving aquatic habitat dynamics and productivity. Specific research objectives are to
- Quantify hydrologic, thermal, and turbidity regimes in headwater catchments with varying levels of fire disturbance
- Investigate the response of a characteristic and widespread boreal fish species to variation in energy flow through fire-affected catchments
- Predict aquatic ecosystem response to changing fire, thermal, and hydrologic regimes using individual-based and/or food web modeling
This position is part of a larger project with goals to develop a better understanding of the effects of fire and climate change on boreal aquatic ecosystem dynamics. Project personnel include aquatic and terrestrial ecologists, climate scientists, graduate students, and support staff including a lab manager and undergraduate field and lab technicians. The incumbent will work closely with university, state, and federal partners, so strong communication skills will be critical to project success.
Qualifications – M.S. in fisheries biology, aquatic ecology, or closely related field. Experience with sampling freshwater invertebrates, fishes, and aquatic and riparian habitats in the field is preferred. Interest in ecohydrology, aquatic food webs, capture-recapture analysis, and freshwater fish ecology are desired, and strong quantitative and communication skills are required. Applicants with practical field and laboratory research experience will be highly competitive for this position.
Salary – Full support including stipend plus tuition waiver and student health benefits for 4 years.
Closing date – Until filled, preferred start date is Summer 2018.
Contact – Send cover letter describing your professional interests and experience, CV, unofficial copies of transcripts and GRE scores, plus contact information for three references to: Dr. Jeff Falke (Jeffrey.Falke@alaska.edu). Additional project information is available upon request.
Weblinks
- Falke lab: https://uaf-ffel.weebly.com/
- Department of Fisheries: http://www.uaf.edu/cfos/academics/departments/fisheries/
- Department of Biology & Wildlife: https://www.bw.uaf.edu/
