Dear Marine Scientist
Please could you pass on details of this fully-funded PhD opportunity to
your students and any colleagues who may know of potential applicants?
Please feel free to share/tweet/post as required.
*Project Title*
*Harvesting the seashore: the impacts and management of inter-tidal
fisheries*
*Project Description*
Applications are invited for a fully-funded (international students only)
three year UK PhD to commence in October 2019. The PhD will be based at
the Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth and will be
supervised by Dr Gordon Watson, Dr Roger Herbert (Bournemouth University)
and Dr Steve Mitchell.
Harvesting the sea shore is an integral part of coastal life, but at local,
national and global scales these inter-tidal fisheries are highly valuable,
extract significant biomass and have considerable impacts. They, therefore,
urgently require governance equivalent to other offshore fisheries.
However, critical gaps in our understanding of these data-limited
activities remain that currently prevent the implementation of
evidence-based fisheries and resource management for coastal regions
especially within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
The Solent and Poole European Marine Sites (MPAs) on the south coast of the
UK provide a unique opportunity to assess the extent and impacts of these
fisheries as they support high levels of bait, clam, cockle and oyster
collection operating at different spatial scales and utilising different
methods. The project is designed to assess the extent of these fisheries
and evaluate the impact of these collection methods on habitats, target and
non-target species and the function that these deliver (i.e. ecosystem
services). The project will provide evidence to support effective
management strategies that will meet future UK and European conservation,
economic and social priorities. The work on this project will look at:
-what impact do inter-tidal fisheries have on the bioavailability of
sediment-bound pollutants
-how is ecosystem function affected by inter-tidal fisheries
-what are the population-level impacts of inter-tidal fisheries on wading
birds
The successful candidate will have opportunities to acquire a diverse set
of skills including macrofaunal sampling and identification, trace metal
and sediment analysis, GIS mapping, aerial photography, assessments of
functional traits and hydrodynamic modelling. You’ll also work closely with
the relevant agencies including the Solent Forum, Natural England and The
Southern Inshore Fisheries Conservation Agency and be part of the vibrant
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Monitoring Group. In addition, you’ll have
access to the Graduate School Development Programme and Department
Postgraduate Researcher Training. Expected career opportunities would be
academic research as well as conservation and fisheries resource management
for government agencies, NGOs and environmental consultancies in the UK and
beyond.
*Entry Requirements *
General admissions criteria
The funding (stipend and fees covered) for this studentship is only
available to non-UK/EU students. You’ll need a good first degree from an
internationally recognised university (minimum second class or equivalent,
depending on your chosen course) or a Master’s degree in an appropriate
subject. In exceptional cases, we may consider equivalent professional
experience and/or qualifications. English language proficiency at a minimum
of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
*How to Apply *
Please follow the link below for details:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/harvesting-the-seashore-the-impacts-and-management-of-inter-tidal-fisheries/?p73261
--
Dr Gordon Watson
Reader in Marine Zoology
Institute of Marine Sciences
School of Biological Sciences
University of Portsmouth
Ferry Road
Portsmouth
PO4 9LY
023 92845798
