Postdoctoral Researcher, DEFRA GCBC GlobalSeaweed

Job Details

Background to the project: Oceans are experiencing unprecedented loss in biodiversity. Wild seaweeds support high biodiversity, yet in some areas they are predicted to lose up to 71% of their current distribution by 2100. Sustainable seaweed cultivation offers a nature-based, climate resilient solution to protect, restore and conserve wild seaweeds globally. The industry also benefits the livelihoods of over 6 million farmers, particularly smallholders and women in developing countries in SE Asia and globally. We aim to support these farmers’ livelihoods, develop climate resilient seaweed cultivars, launch a global seaweed conservation strategy, develop novel approaches for seaweed resource management and attract further investment to safeguard this industry. To address this aim, we are addressing the following: the key steps required to promote investment in the global protection, conservation and restoration of wild seaweed stocks, and their associated biodiversity, and to integrate this with the sustainable management of the seaweed aquaculture industry at a time of accelerating climate impact.

The post: We are seeking an enthusiastic, highly engaged PDRA to join our team for six months on the project: GlobalSeaweed SUPERSTAR, Supporting livelihoods by protecting, enhancing and restoring biodiversity by securing the future of the seaweed aquaculture industry in developing countries, a Defra-funded project as part of the UK Government’s Global Centre on Biodiversity for Climate (GCBC) programme (https://www.gcbc.org.uk/).

The team consists of Professor Elizabeth Cottier-Cook (Scottish Institute for Marine Science), Professor Juliet Brodie (Natural History Museum) and Professor Phaik Eem Lim (University of Malaysia).

You will have experience in marine – ideally seaweeds - biodiversity, conservation and aquaculture. You will be employed at the Natural History Museum to work on two main components of one of the project’s Work Packages (WP): ‘To conserve wild seaweed-associated biodiversity and farmed cultivars globally.’

This is an exciting and novel project where you will be working closely with the WP lead, Prof. Brodie and with your counterpart PDRAs in the University of Malaya and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS).

Requirements

You will have knowledge and experience working with seaweeds, including an understanding of seaweed diversity. You will also have knowledge and ideally experience of IUCN Red Listing and other conservation approaches. An ability to work with databases, and to analyse and synthesize information, including from worksheets completed by a wide range of people will be necessary. You should have knowledge and experience within a data-driven environment, including a working knowledge of GIS, R and statistical analysis as well as data visualisation. You will be innovative and ambitious to create novel approaches to the work. An ability to work in a team and independently is necessary, along with excellent communication, organisational and planning skills. You will be a careful worker with close attention to detail and able to work at pace and to tight deadlines. You will also need to demonstrate excellent oral and written English skills.

Thriving at the Museum: the way we work

We are proud to work at the Museum and have identified the qualities we all need to embody to reach our shared ambition. This sits alongside the Museum’s values and forms the framework for the way we work.

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Contact Information

https://jobs.nhm.ac.uk/DecideInternalExternal/DecideInternalExternal?JobId=549