[Coral-List] postdoc and research technician positions at NOAA Fisheries Seattle

[Jameal Samhouri]

POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATE, ECOSYSTEM MODELING AT NOAA-FISHERIES, SEATTLE

The project: "Development of Decision Support Tools for the California
Current"

We are developing ecosystem simulation models for the California Current and
the Central California Coast. The models will be used for simulation testing
of alternative ecosystem-based management strategies for this region. Our
research includes:

•Testing options for monitoring and assessment of nearshore fisheries and
marine protected areas (MPAs)

•Considering spatial management options and nearshore habitat effects on
ecosystem services

•Considering tradeoffs or benefits of the interrelated policies of multiple
state and federal agencies


In collaboration with researchers at CSIRO in Australia, we have adopted a
modeling framework (Atlantis) in which ecosystem dynamics are represented by
spatially-explicit sub-models that simulate hydrographic processes,
biogeochemical factors driving primary production, and food web relations
among functional groups.  The model represents key exploited species at the
level of detail necessary to evaluate direct effects of fishing, and it also
represents other anthropogenic and climate impacts on the ecosystem as a
whole.

Postdoctoral responsibilities

The postdoctoral associate's primary responsibility will be the development
of an Atlantis ecosystem model of the Central California Coast. This will
benefit from an existing parameterization for the biological model.
Additional model building will involve synthesis of new biological data and
parameterization, incorporation of fisheries data, multiple meetings with
biologists and data managers, calibration, running scenarios, and
documenting and publishing the results.

The postdoc will also be involved in meetings with stakeholders and
managers, identification of management strategies (e.g,. changes in quotas,
MPAs, or gear type), and use of the models as decision support tools to
evaluate these strategies. Deliverables include both peer-reviewed
publications and white papers for use in management.

About our team

http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov

We are part of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Our
team's goal is to research the ecological interactions and processes
necessary to sustain ecosystem composition, structure and function in the
environments in which fish and fisheries exist.
We draw upon expertise from within and outside the NWFSC to address the
following five research foci:

• Interactions of target fish stocks with predators, competitors and prey
• The effects of weather and climate on target species and their ecological
communities
• The effects of fishing on marine ecosystems and fish habitat
• Interactions between fishes and their habitat
• Marine Protected Areas as a fisheries conservation and management tool

Current members include 5 research scientists and 3 postdocs, with projects
ranging from experimental ecology to ecosystem modeling.

Term:  June 2008-May 2009

Location: Seattle, Washington, USA

Qualifications: Ph.D. in ecology, fisheries science, or similar discipline.
The candidate should also have a proven track record of publications and
collaborative research, and a strong quantitative background in statistics
and computing (languages such as R, Matlab, or Visual Basic).  Experience
with food web modeling and C/C++ preferred.

Salary and Benefits: $45,000/year plus health insurance

We will begin reviewing applications May 1, 2008.

Contact:  Please email a cover letter, curriculum vitae, all university
transcripts, and 3 letters of recommendation to Dr. Phil Levin
Phil.Levin at noaa.gov


---------------------------------
RESEARCH TECHNICIAN, ECOSYSTEM MODELING AT NOAA-FISHERIES, SEATTLE



The project: "Development of Decision Support Tools for the California
Current"

We are developing ecosystem simulation models for the California Current and
the Central California Coast. The models will be used for simulation testing
of alternative ecosystem-based management strategies for this region. Our
research includes:

• Testing options for monitoring and assessment of nearshore fisheries and
marine protected areas (MPAs)
• Considering spatial management options and nearshore habitat effects on
ecosystem services
• Considering tradeoffs or benefits of the interrelated policies of multiple
state and federal agencies

In collaboration with researchers at CSIRO in Australia, we have adopted a
modeling framework (Atlantis) in which ecosystem dynamics are represented by
spatially-explicit sub-models that simulate hydrographic processes,
biogeochemical factors driving primary production, and food web relations
among functional groups.  The model represents key exploited species at the
level of detail necessary to evaluate direct effects of fishing, and it also
represents other anthropogenic and climate impacts on the ecosystem as a
whole.

Technician responsibilities

The technician's primary responsibility will be to assist in the development
of an Atlantis ecosystem model of the Central California Coast. This
involves collecting and summarizing biological and fisheries data from the
literature and from databases, writing computer code to synthesize and
format this data into required input files,  calibrating and running the
model, and writing documentation and methods.  The technician will also be
involved in a collaborative effort to develop computer code that improves
input/output handling and visualization of results.

About our team

http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov

We are part of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Our
team's goal is to research the ecological interactions and processes
necessary to sustain ecosystem composition, structure and function in the
environments in which fish and fisheries exist.
We draw upon expertise from within and outside the NWFSC to address the
following five research foci:

• Interactions of target fish stocks with predators, competitors and prey
• The effects of weather and climate on target species and their ecological
communities
• The effects of fishing on marine ecosystems and fish habitat
• Interactions between fishes and their habitat
• Marine Protected Areas as a fisheries conservation and management tool

Current members include 5 research scientists and 3 postdocs, with projects
ranging from experimental ecology to ecosystem modeling.

Term:  June 2008-May 2009

Location: Seattle, Washington, USA

Qualifications: M.S. in ecology, fisheries science, or similar discipline.
The candidate should have a proven track record of collaborative research.
The principal requirement is a strong quantitative background in statistics
and computing (languages such as R, Matlab, or Visual Basic).  Experience
with food web modeling and C/C++ preferred.

Salary and Benefits: $40,000/year plus health insurance

We will begin reviewing applications on May 1, 2008.

Contact:  Please email a cover letter, curriculum vitae, all university
transcripts, and 3 letters of recommendation to Dr. Phil Levin
Phil.Levin at noaa.gov






-- 
Jameal Samhouri, Ph.D.
NOAA Fisheries
Northwest Fisheries Science Center
2725 Montlake Blvd. E
Seattle, WA 98112