2016: Post-doctoral research in bioenergetic modeling and ecology

We are seeking candidates for a 2-year post-doc for an inter-disciplinary project combining fish foraging ecology, bioenergetics, fluvial hydraulics, and instream flow modeling.  Habitat suitability curves commonly used to describe habitat preferences for instream flow modeling are usually based on empirical observations; however, habitat suitability can also be generated based on the energetic costs and benefits associated with energy intake and expenditures. The goal of this project is to develop freely available open-source software with a user-friendly interface that will allow managers and instream flow modelers to generate habitat suitability curves for fish based on fundamental principles of bioenergetics and foraging theory, which can then be used to model the consequences for habitat capacity of changes in flow, temperature, or prey abundance.  Research will involve bioenergetic and ecological modeling in collaboration with university and government scientists, software development, and collection of data on fish habitat use in target streams to validate model predictions.  Candidates should have strong modeling and software development/programming skills, a basic to good understanding of fish bioenergetics and foraging theory, and ideally have experience in the ecology of streams and sampling of stream salmonids (electrofishing, microhabitat and behavioral observations by snorkeling).  Salary is $50,000 a year, start date can be anywhere between June and Nov. 2016.  Research will be based out of the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre and UBC Dept. of Geography, in collaboration with the B.C. Ministry of Environment, B.C .Hydro, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.  For more information or to forward a CV, applicants should contact the project leads, either Dr. Jordan Rosenfeld (B.C. Ministry of Environment, 604-222-6762, Jordan.rosenfeld@gov.bc.ca , http://www3.telus.net/jordanrosenfeld ) or Dr. Brett Eaton (UBC Dept. of Geography, 604-822-2257,  brett.eaton@ubc.ca , http://www.geog.ubc.ca/persons/brett-eaton/  ).