1 Postdoc Fellowship in Ecoinformatics - Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability in UK | Durham University

Applications are invited for a two-year Postdoctoral Research Associate in Ecoinformatics (ecological analysis and synthesis) as part of the NERC-funded Coastal Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability project (CBESS).

The post holder will collate ongoing and historical ecological and environmental survey records (microbiota, plants and invertebrates) from salt marsh and mudflat habitats at a variety of scales around the UK coastline. These records will then be analysed to determine the scale-dependence of relationships between biodiversity stocks and ecosystem service flows in coastal wetlands. Initial work will focus on the salt marsh-mudflat continuums around both Morecambe Bay and the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, with conclusions being tested at other UK sites in the second year of the project. Accordingly, work is likely to involve a number of short site visits to other partners in the CBESS consortium.

Because the post holder will be working as part of the CBESS consortium, there will be strong opportunities for networking and mobility, particularly with consortium partners at Queen’s University Belfast:

• Dr. N.E. O'Connor
• Professor M.C. Emmerson

The post is available from early March and candidates should be ready to start no later than Summer 2014.

Requirements

Prospective candidates will have a good first degree and PhD in a relevant field (e.g. computational ecology). Ideally, candidates will have completed at least one postdoctoral position and will be able to demonstrate expertise in standard mathematical and computational ecology techniques. It is anticipated that the candidate will be in a position to apply for independent funding (Fellowships etc.) by the end of their second year, and full support will be given for such applications.