The Pinsky Lab at Rutgers University is hiring a postdoc on a four-year, National Science Foundation-funded project that examines the coupled responses of marine species and human communities to climate change using long-term ecological, social, and environmental datasets. This project’s goal is to understand how climate and fishing interact to affect the long-term distribution and sustainability of marine communities and the ecosystem services they support. The research has a focus on, but is not limited to, the continental shelves of the northeast U.S.
This postdoc will lead the analysis of ecological responses to the cumulative impacts of fishing and climate change, while also contributing to or leading interdisciplinary projects that integrate ecological, economic, and social understandings of climate adaptation. Co-PIs on the project include Simon Levin (Princeton), Bonnie McCay (Rutgers), Eli Fenichel (Yale), Kevin St. Martin (Rutgers), Mike Fogarty (NOAA), and Julie Olson (NOAA). The postdoc position will include extensive opportunities for collaboration with these and other partners.
**Background**
The patterns, geographic ranges, and capacities of fish species and fishing communities are changing in response to climate change at speeds that often surpass those of terrestrial systems. The project uses the tightly coupled social-ecological system of marine fisheries to explore the dynamics of rapid change, feedback, and adaptation within the system and in response to changing climate. The project aims to assess the dynamic distribution of fish species and fishing community territories across North American continental shelves, determine the impacts of climate change and fishing activities on these patterns, and understand how these changes interact with the choices and practices of fishing communities. To address such issues requires a committed interdisciplinary approach, and investigators include an ecologist, economist, anthropologist, geographer, theoretician, and
fisheries scientist. The research also integrates multiple research methodologies, including ecological and economic modeling and data analysis, qualitative GIS, and community-based interviews.
**Qualifications**
The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in ecology or related field, a strong background in statistics, excellent written and oral communication abilities, a promising record of publication, and evidence of creativity and enthusiasm. Experience with Bayesian analysis is a strength. Experience with marine ecosystems is not required.
**Application process**
The position is open until filled. Interested candidates should send an email describing their research interests and qualifications along with a CV, two representative publications, and three references to Malin Pinsky (malin.pinsky@rutgers.edu). The position is open until filled.
Malin Pinsky
Assistant Professor
Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources
Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
USA
malin.pinsky@rutgers.edu