PhD-level Graduate Assistantship in Quantitative Fisheries

Job Details

This position is for a quantitative fisheries PhD student working with Dr. Edward Camp at the University of Florida. This position is funded by an interdisciplinary project that will knit together biological, ecological, socioeconomic, and integrated empirical and model-based assessments to understand the consequences of changing marine fishery systems on fishers and management. The specific position is expected to study shifts in fish species availability, and subsequent responses of fishers to such shifts. The work is expected to involve quantitative analyses of existing fisheries dependent and/or independent data from federal or state agencies. The project will also have opportunities to develop related socioecological models that may be used to consider the consequences of shifting fish and fishers on management actions and approaches. 

This position is intended to be part of a cohort of 3-4 students working on related aspects of changing socioecological systems from biological, ecological, socioeconomic, and integrated perspectives. As the project will also work closely with managers and fishers, this position will afford the successful applicant opportunities to interact and learn about fisheries governance and fishing communities. The work is expected to focus especially on Florida’s Gulf coast and may involve voluntary travel, but the student will be based in Gainesville and will not be required to conduct field work. The position should start between August 2026 and January 2027.

Responsibilities and research topics

Primary responsibilities include

·        Developing a theory-based research proposal with management application

·        Conducting quantitative fisheries research 

·        Writing 2 or more peer-reviewed manuscripts describing research

·        Successful completion of required coursework and writing of accepted dissertation

Potential research topics could include:

·        Reviewing literature on shifting ecosystems and consequences for fisheries

·        Evaluating changes in observed fisher targeting behaviors

·        Developing and testing hypotheses about shifting ecosystems, e.g., in a socioecological systems framework using available data

·        Assessing effects of shifting ecosystems on overall resilience 

·        Evaluating efficacy of management approaches to shifting ecosystems

Requirements

An undergraduate degree in fisheries, wildlife ecology, quantitative fields, natural resources, or a related field is required. A MS degree in fisheries, natural resources, or a related field is preferred. Experience with scientific research and an interest in quantitative fisheries research is required and demonstrated experience with quantitative fisheries work is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate would have experience using models (e.g., GLMs, assessment, simulation, etc.) in R or a similar platform, and be interesting quantitative approaches to understand and improve fisheries management.

Contact Information

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To be considered for this position, please send (1) a cover letter describing your research interests and career goals, (2) a current CV describing relevant experience, (3) unofficial transcripts, and (4) contact information for three references, as well as any additional questions to Edward Camp at edvcamp@ufl.edu. Review of applications will be ongoing, but please submit application by March 15th, 2026 for full consideration. 

Contact

Edward Camp

1+ 352 273 3652

edvcamp@ufl.edu (preferred contact method)