Summary
Otoliths, calcified pieces of the inner ear of teleost fish, are  mainly used to estimate the age of individuals through the counting of  growth increments. For this purpose, each year in Europe, nearly 800,000  otoliths are collected, including 35,000 in France. Beyond this  application, the otoliths shape can vary within a species, in particular  according to environmental conditions (temperature, salinity, diet,  etc.), and could therefore be used as a proxy to estimate individual  somatic growth patterns and discriminate between stocks within a  species. The planned thesis will contribute to extracting information  contained in the shape of the otolith from traditional but also more  innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence applied to  big-datasets or 3-D analysis.
This will be done with the aim of better understanding the  morphogenesis of the otolith and thus optimising its use both for stock  discrimination and for fish automated ageing. This thesis will be based  on several different case studies such as common plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) and red mullet (Mullus surmuletus and Mullus barbatus) in order to obtain generic results
The thesis topic will be organised along three major axes: (i) the  development of new methods for extracting the information contained in  the external shape, (ii) the study of otolith shape to better understand  the factors controlling it (iii) the use of otolith shape as a proxy to  automated ageing of fish.
Required Knowledge, skills, and characteristics
- Master’s degree in quantitative ecology or marine ecology.
- The candidate should have a numerical profile, strong statistical  and modelling expertise, and programming skills (e.g., R, SAS, MATLAB).
- He/she should also demonstrate an interest in biochemistry and stoichiometry.
Specific working conditions
- Full time
- Travel in France and another country
- Survey
How to apply for this position ?
Your application file must include :
- a curriculum vitae
- a covering letter
- a reference letter
- an academic transcript (Bachelor + MSc)
Your application must be compiled into 2 PDF files, up to 1.5 MB for each file:
In case of any problem in attaching your documents, please upload  your CV on this page (this step is mandatory for your application to be  considered) and send all the documents to the thesis  supervisor :kelig.mahe@ifremer.fr
The deadline for applications is August 22, 2021.  Nevertheless, we strongly urge you to let us know as soon as possible of  your intention to apply, by contacting the subject supervisor. Reference: PV-2021-995/1
