Job Description

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral fellow to join the Marine Programme at SANBI. The successful candidate will lead research to improve upon and update the classification and mapping of pelagic ecosystems for South Africa's mainland maritime domain (from the shore to 200 nm) and will support its integration into the national Marine Ecosystem Map.

The previous pelagic ecosystem classification was conducted by Lagabrielle (2009) and reported by Roberson et al. (2017). Updated and improved datasets exist as well as several new statistical approaches that should be considered. The candidate will be encouraged to investigate the integration of biodiversity datasets and include a focus on depths beyond the surface ocean. This work will feed directly into the next Marine Ecosystem Map and South Africa's National Biodiversity Assessment.

Requirements

The postdoctoral fellowship is open to anyone who has completed a PhD in the last five years, or who will be awarded their PhD in 2023. Requirements include demonstrated marine biodiversity and/or oceanographic knowledge and strong analytical and data management skills.

Experience with spatial analyses and competence with analytical programming languages (e.g. R or Python) will be strongly preferred, as well as past experience of distribution modelling and/or classifying and mapping biodiversity and/or oceanographic variability at regional scales. Advantages will include a developed network of collaborators in South African marine science institutions and a track record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals.

Research areas

The main focus of this position will be bioregional classification of surface and subsurface pelagic ecosystems in South Africa. The successful candidate will be expected to lead the work from start to finish, in close collaboration with SANBI Marine Programme staff. They will furthermore support the integration of their resulting layer in the national Marine Ecosystem Map and will be involved in the delivery of that map in March 2025.

The work will include interrogation of the literature, identifying, sourcing and managing relevant data, choosing among and implementing statistical approaches, and writing up results. Development of transparent and reproducible workflows will be a priority throughout. The incumbent will work within a small team that collaborates broadly and will be exposed to the exciting array of science-to-policy work that SANBI conducts.

Bursary value

The value of the fellowship is R 300 000 per year and is available for a period of 18 months (R450 000) with a starting date as soon as possible in the second half of 2023. Limited running expenses will be made available. The postdoctoral fellow will be hosted at the University of Cape Town and will be co-supervised by Dr Natasha Karenyi (UCT) and Dr Jock Currie (SANBI).

Referencing

• Lagabrielle, E. 2009. National pelagic bioregionalisation of South Africa: a preliminary report (eds K. Sink, A. Lombard and H. Grantham), 23 pages. Prepared for the South African National Biodiversity Institute by Conservation Systems.
• Roberson LA, Lagabrielle E, Lombard AT, Sink K, Livingstone T, Grantham H, Harris JM (2017) Pelagic bioregionalisation using open-access data for better planning of marine protected area networks. Ocean & Coastal Management 148:214-230. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2017.08.017

Application procedure

Applications must include a standard bursary ; a full CV; certified copies of ID and academic records; two letters of reference (one must be from an academic supervisor); examples of published work and a motivation letter describing the applicant's suitability for the position in terms of skills and experience, highlights of achievements to date, research interests, and future goals (approximately two-pages).

Send all application documents to and with xe2x80x9cMarine Pelagic Ecosystems Postdoc Fellowshipxe2x80x9d in the subject line and copying .

SANBI reserves the right not to fill this fellowship. If no response has been received within 21 days of the closing date, candidates may assume that their applications were unsuccessful.

Academic enquiries:
Dr Jock Currie
E-mail:

General queries:
Renxc3xa9 du Toit
E-mail:

Closes: Thursday, 31 August 2023
Value: R300,000 per annum
Location: Cape Town

ABOUT SANBI

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) contributes to South Africa's sustainable development by facilitating access to biodiversity data, generating information and knowledge, building capacity, providing policy advice, showcasing and conserving biodiversity in its national botanical and zoological gardens.

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