Description: This DEFRA-funded position will support a project investigating the migration and movement of marine fish from the isotope chemistry of their scales. The post holder will be responsible for extending methods developed on Atlantic salmon to commercially important small pelagic marine fish populations (North Sea Herring). The main scientific question addressed by this work will be testing whether spawning populations of herring share common summer feeding grounds. You will gain an introduction into a new method of studying the ecology of marine fish, and will join a dynamic research group applying chemical methods to study fish ecology. The position demands good laboratory skills covering sample management and curation, manipulation and dissection under binocular microscopes, and preparation of samples for isotope ratio mass spectrometry and you should be prepared to work using a binocular microscope to clean and dissect scales for analysis.
To deliver these goals you should be scientifically literate with a degree in one of the following, Ecology, Geology, or Biology. Some background experience in either marine ecology or isotope geochemistry is essential or a related scientific discipline with some familiarity with environmental chemistry. An understanding of fish ecology, sclerochronology and/or stable isotope ecology would be an advantage. Organisation and familiarity with common computing packages (e.g. Word, Powerpoint, Excel) is essential, as are good written and verbal communication skills.
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