PhD project available at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver; starting 2009
Sharks and rays are among the most threatened vertebrates because they have slow life histories1,2 and they are subject to high mortality due to unregulated bycatch in trawl and longline fisheries3,4. The aim of this project is to use the available existing knowledge to develop predictive models of extinction risk grounded in life histories and demography.
This funded PhD project will provide the student with broad training in phylogenetic comparative analysis and statistical modeling of large complex datasets. The student will be expected to collaborate with and work alongside other students and will gain a wider training in the links among life histories, population dynamics and conservation biology of fishes. The student will be based at the vibrant and expanding Earth to Ocean research group at the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Vancouver, BC Canada.
To apply for this project please send a CV, a 1-page research proposal (including context, hypotheses and approach) and a cover letter with details of three referees to the contact supervisor (Nick Dulvy: nkd3@sfu.ca<mailto:nkd3@sfu.ca> with the subject heading "PhD competition B") before June 31st 2009. It is strongly encouraged that the candidate read the references provided below prior to building the conceptual framework of their own proposal. An understanding of life histories and population dynamics is desirable. We are keen to consider candidates without prior experience of fish or fisheries. Ideal candidates should have good organizational skills and be comfortable working autonomously as needed. Financial support will be $20,000 per year. International students considering graduate studies at Simon Fraser University should obtain current immigration requirements from a Canadian Embassy or consulate.
1. MG Frisk, TJ Miller, MJ Fogarty (2001). Estimation of biological parameters in elasmobranch fishes: a comparative life history study. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 58, 969.
2. MK McAllister, EK Pikitch, EA Babcock (2001). Using demographic methods to construct Bayesian priors for the intrinsic rate of increase in the Schaefer model and implications for stock rebuilding. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 58, 1871.
3. JK Baum, RA Myers, DG Kehler, B Worm, SJ Harley, PA Doherty (2003). Collapse and conservation of shark populations in the northwest Atlantic. Science 299, 389.
4. SC Clarke, MK McAllister, EJ Milner-Gulland, GP Kirkwood, CGJ Michielsens, DJ Agnew, EK Pikitch, H Nakano, MS Shivji (2006). Global estimates of shark catches using trade records from commercial markets. Ecology Letters 9, 1115.