[Coral-List] MS or PhD position in mesophotic coral thermal tolerance at Old Dominion University

Daniel Barshis barshis at hawaii.edu
Mon Jan 6 05:07:01 UTC 2020


Dear Coral-listers,

The Barshis Lab in the Dept. of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion
University (www.odu.edu/~dbarshis) is recruiting for a graduate student
(M.S. or Ph.D.)
in mesophotic coral thermal tolerance to begin in Fall 2020. The position
is fully-funded and supported by a NOAA Deep Coral Ecosystem Studies grant.
The project is aimed at assessing thermal thresholds and characterizing the
molecular stress response in mesophotic scleractinian corals in American
Samoa. Mesophotic coral ecosystems are those found at depths of 30-150
meters, below most shallow reef ecosystems. It is estimated that over 80%
of coral reefs are actually found at mesophotic depths, yet the relative
abundance of these habitats, number of endemic or threatened species, and
susceptibility to climate impacts are almost entirely unknown.

We seek students who are highly self-motivated, independent, and creative
thinkers that are enthusiastic about pursuing a career in marine biology,
physiology, or molecular ecology. The successful candidate will be expected
to travel to field sites 1-2 times/year for 3-4 weeks at a time to conduct
field and laboratory work. A background in physiology and/or molecular
biology is preferred. Competitive applicants will feel comfortable
coordinating and conducting research in the field; SCUBA diving experience
(AAUS Scientific Diver a plus) and familiarity with next generation
sequencing techniques is also desired. The student will have the
opportunity to interact with a team of investigators from ODU and multiple
institutions/labs in Hawai'i.

Please email Dr. Barshis (dbarshis at odu.edu) directly if you're interested
in this opportunity, including a brief description of your research
interests, relevant experience, and current CV or resume. Graduate student
funding for up to 4 years will be through a research assistantship from the
NOAA award. Additional years if needed will be funded through a combination
of research and teaching assistantships. Students from underrepresented
groups in science and first-generation graduate students are encouraged to
apply.

The Department of Biological Sciences has ~75 graduate students and 20
graduate faculty members conducting research on a wide variety of topics.
Find out more about the department (www.odu.edu/biosci), graduate school (
www.odu.edu/graduateschool), and Barshis Lab (www.odu.edu/~dbarshis). The
deadline to apply to either the MS (
https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/masters/biology) or PhD (
https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/doctoral/ecological-sciences)
programs is 1 Feb 2020; however, earlier applications are highly encouraged
and applicants must be in contact with Dr. Barshis in advance to be
competitive.

-- 

  Daniel Barshis, Ph.D.
  Assistant Professor
  Department of Biological Sciences
  Old Dominion University
  Mills Godwin Building 302J
  Norfolk, VA 23529
  Office: 757-683-3614
  Lab: 757-683-5755
  Web: www.odu.edu/~dbarshis


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