Postdoctoral Scientist in Ocean Colour Radiometry for North Atlantic Right Whale Habitat Modelling

The project 

This project is part of the SmartWhales initiative funded by the Canadian Government (Canadian Space Agency and federal departments) to protect the North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW), an emblematic endangered marine mammal. In recent years, the NARW extended its habitat from the Northern Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of St Lawrence increasing their exposure to fishing gears and maritime shipping vessel traffic. The overarching project’s objective is to develop a modelling system for the NARW to predict the presence of this critically endangered species in the Northwest Atlantic shelf, using Earth Observation (EO) products.

The position

We are offering a two-year postdoctoral position in remote sensing or ocean modelling. The postdoctoral fellow (PDF) will develop novel ocean colour radiometry (OCR) products and methods to support a modelling team aiming at predicting the NARW habitat. Tracking zooplankton is crucial for monitoring and protecting NARW, but there is currently no direct detection method from space. The development includes the possible detection of Calanus swarms in the Gulf of Maine and Gulf of St Lawrence. In addition, the potential of Phytoplankton Functional Types (PFTs) or inherent optical properties (IOPs) as proxies for predicting zooplankton abundance will be examined. The PDF is expected to contribute to other projects, participate in lab activities, and mentor graduate students.

Qualification and expertise

Applicants holding a Ph.D. in remote sensing, or modelling, or oceanography, or environmental sciences, or in physics (optics), are encouraged to apply.  Applicants with strong interest in satellite remote sensing data analysis (ocean colour, but not exclusively) will be favoured. In addition, expertise in the following areas would also be useful:

  • ocean numerical modelling
  • biological and/or physical oceanography
  • species distribution modelling

 Desired skills

  • programming and large data manipulation
  • experience with cloud-computing platforms
  • scientific writing and oral communication
  • demonstrate an interest and ability to work in a multidisciplinary team

The research environment

The PDF will work in the Joint International Laboratory Takuvik located at the Université Laval in Québec city (Canada), under the supervision of Prof. Frédéric Maps (U. Laval) and Dr. Simon Bélanger (Scientific director, Arctus).

Québec is the capital of the French‐speaking province of Québec in Canada. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Send an application file to Frédéric Maps (frederic.maps@bio.ulaval.ca) before January 24, that will include:

1. A letter of motivation (1 page) and an up to date CV (2 pages max.).
2. The final transcript of the Ph.D. degree obtained.

3. One selected scientific paper/report first-authored by the candidate.
4. Two letters of reference and the coordinates of another potential contact person.

via ULQ
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