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Reef Resilience Post-Doctoral Associate
Job Description
Position Details
Classification Information
| Classification Description | Professional |
|---|---|
| FLSA Status | Exempt |
Position Information
| Position Title | Reef Resilience Post-Doctoral Associate |
|---|---|
| Position Number | 121325 |
| Department | Center for Marine and Environmental Studies |
| Job Description | The Virgin Islands Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR) seeks a Reef Resilience Postdoctoral Associate for the territory. This position is responsible for assisting in the coordination and implementation of a reef resilience study in the US Virgin Islands for the current 2020-2025 NSF-EPSCoR award “Ridge to Reef” (R2R; Award #1946412). The purpose of the reef resilience study is to determine the internal and external drivers most critical to coral reef ecosystem resilience in the USVI and identify targets for restoration of resilience. This program focuses on stony corals as habitat engineers, but considers all aspects of the ecosystems and its physical regimes. We will capitalize on a rich data set from 42 long-term research sites across the USVI from depths of 3 – 65 m. We will also investigate the how connectivity influences coral reef biodiversity patterns through spatially comprehensive data sets and a high-resolution hydrodynamic and connectivity model. The research initiative includes: 1) coordination of the outputs of multiple expert-led working groups on different aspects on coral reef resilience, 2) development, execution, and publication of coral reef resilience research, 3) development of coral reef research initiatives of interest to the candidate, 4) mentorship of undergraduate and Masters-level graduate students involved coral reef research efforts, and 5) development of outreach initiatives and products related to coral reef resilience work (e.g., public talks, newsletter contributions). Responsibilities 1) Coordination of reef resilience study. The reef resilience study will use biophysical data from long-term coral reef sites to examine a period of reef recovery in between large-scale disturbances. Potential drivers of resilience will be thoroughly characterized at each of the research sites, and will include external drivers such as thermal regimes, currents/connectivity, ocean color/water quality, and management and internal drivers such as coral disease, biodiversity, and competition. Each driver will be characterized by an expert-led working group, resulting in numerous research outputs. The postdoctoral associate will be responsible for coordinating the activities and outputs of the research groups under the guidance of the principal investigator Dr. Tyler Smith. The postdoctoral associate, along with the PI and a statistical consultant, will then lead an analysis of resilience metrics with potential resilience drivers to understand the most important drivers influencing coral reef resilience in the USVI. This will involve coordinating an in-person workshop with the study participants to finalize the research outputs. The postdoctoral associate will also assist in a study of how connectivity networks influence coral reef biodiversity patterns, by summarizing metrics of coral reef biodiversity using thousands of spatially randomized samples taken in coral reefs and providing outputs to the connectivity modeling team. 2) Development, execution, and publication of reef resilience research. The Reef Resilience Post-Doc will develop (or co-develop with students or other researchers) research papers related to the reef resilience research thrust. The Post-Doc will be responsible (or co-responsible with students or other researchers) for data collection, organization, analysis, write-up, presentation, and publication of these results, as well as assist other R2R PIs with project leadership as needed. In addition, the Post-Doc will ensure that all project data outputs are relayed to data manager(s) for long-term archival. 3) Development of coral reef research initiatives of interest to the candidate. The Reef Resilience Post-Doc will work with the PI to develop research in the USVI that aligns with their research experience and interests. This includes opportunities for field-based projects utilizing UVI’s state-of-the-art diving and technical diving capabilities and research vessel fleet, wet-lab facilities, oceanographic sampling laboratory, and long-term ecological data sets. The Post-Doc will also be encouraged to develop independent research proposals for competitive funding consideration. 4) Mentorship and supervision of undergraduate and Masters-level graduate students involved in reef resilience research efforts. The Post-Doc will act as a short-term (summer or semester internships) and/or long-term (2 year Master-level thesis) mentor and supervisor for undergraduates and/or Masters-level graduate students. This role may include, but is not limited to: (1) establishment of student expectations and responsibilities, (2) regular communication and coordination with students to ensure timely project completion, mentorship and supervisory development of student research, (3) committee member roles on Master-level thesis projects, and (4) assistance with various levels of the scientific process (e.g., methodology development, field work, statistical analysis, draft-review, etc.). The Post-Doc may also have opportunities to teach/co-teach in the Masters of Marine and Environmental Science program, a valuable experience for those seeking academic positions. 5) Development of outreach initiatives and products related to coral reef resilience work. The Reef Resilience Post-Doc will participate in outreach-related activities that further the promotion and awareness of coral reef issues and science within the USVI. Example activities include local outreach events, blog posts, infographics, local/national/international conferences & workshops, local teacher training and curricula development. 6) Other duties as assigned. |
| Required Qualifications | 1) Ph.D. in the Marine Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Ecology, or a related field; 2) Experience with coral reef ecosystems research 3) Experience with data management, and statistical or mathematical/computational software (e.g., R, JMP, SPSS). |
| Preferred Qualifications | 1) Background in coral reef ecosystems science, preferably in the Greater Caribbean Region 2) Background in ecological study/theory, particularly community dynamics 3) Strong background in analyzing complex data sets to answer defined hypotheses using state-of-the-art statistical methodologies, such as Bayesian statistics, Generalized Linear Models, multivariate techniques 4) Experience managing and supervising small teams, and mentoring students (or willingness to learn); Knowledge, Skills & Abilities 1) Demonstrated strong field research skills; 2) Demonstrated ability to work in team settings and meet tight deadlines with tangible deliverables; 3) Demonstrated ability to complete personally-assigned tasks with a high degree of independence; 4) Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills (including examples of scientific journal publications) and ability to work with a range of partners and collaborators, including students, faculty, staff, professionals, organizations, and the general public; and 5) Strong desire to learn new skills and tools and receive instruction and training. |
| Physical Demands | 1) Must be able to travel for research, meetings, conferences, workshops and training (following current University and territorial safety guidelines); 2) Must be willing to work outside of standard workday hours (weekends and evenings); 3) Must be self-motivated; 4) Must have the ability to be professional at all times; 5) If fieldwork is desired: Should be able to perform strenuous activity, including the ability to lift 50 pounds and conduct prolonged fieldwork in a range of tropical island ecosystems; and engage in safe diving/technical diving from unmoored vessels in an open seas environment. 6) Must have the ability to accept the work environment whereby noise level will be moderate to loud. |
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