Overview

Lancaster Environment Centre
Salary:   £33,518 to £38,832
Closing Date:   Friday 17 November 2017
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  A2061
An exciting opportunity exists for a coral reef scientist or marine community ecologist to contribute to a Bertarelli Foundation funded project: Coral reef fish ecology and functioning in the Chagos Archipelago.

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic marine scientist to contribute to a project investigating coral reef fish ecology and functioning in the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory). The Chagos Archipelago is unique in the Indian Ocean in that the northern Archipelago is uninhabited and thus direct human impacts are minimal. While some islands in the archipelago are rat infested, others are not, resulting in substantial differences in seabird colonies and the nutrients they deposit on the islands. The 2016 coral bleaching event has caused extensive mortality to hard coral assemblages in Chagos, and elsewhere in the Indian Ocean. These factors create some large scale natural experiments to ask questions such as: 1) How have reef fish communities responded to coral loss in Chagos compared to other locations in the Indian Ocean; 2) How have coral and fish communities responded to the 2016 bleaching event adjacent to islands with and without large seabird colonies; 3) How does the input of nutrients vectored to reefs by seabirds influence ecosystem functioning.

Lancaster University is a research intensive university.  The Lancaster Environment Centre (LEC) is a large and multidisciplinary department, tackling environmental challenges across the natural and social sciences. Within LEC, there is particular strength in high diversity tropical systems, including coral reefs and tropical rain forests.

You will have a background in marine science, and relevant experience in fieldwork, statistical modelling, and writing publications. A proactive and enthusiastic approach and excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential. Attention to detail and good English writing skills are essential to meet the exciting and challenging goals of the project.
Informal enquiries to Prof Nick Graham, Lancaster Environment Centre, +44 (0)1524 595054, nick.graham@lancaster.ac.uk.

This is a fixed term appointment for 3 years with an anticipated start date early in 2018.

Interview by Skype is possible for those unable to travel to Lancaster in person.

We welcome applications from people in all diversity groups.