USA – William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in shellfish aquaculture to work in the Shellfish Aquaculture Lab led by Dr. Bill Walton in the Department of Fisheries Science. VIMS has a three-part mission to conduct interdisciplinary research in coastal ocean and estuarine science, educate students and citizens, and provide advisory service to policymakers, industry, and the public.
The School of Marine Science at VIMS supports masters and doctoral programs within four academic departments: Aquatic Health Sciences, Biological Sciences, Fisheries Science, and Physical Sciences. We are seeking candidates who share VIMS’ commitment to the principle that diversity and inclusion are critical to maintaining excellence.
The successful candidate will join researchers in the Shellfish Aquaculture Lab to develop and apply methods to understand how culture methods and farm management strategies in shellfish aquaculture affect yield product quality and ultimately profitability. The expectation will be that the candidate will focus on one of the species commercially raised in Virginia (e.g., oysters and clams) though the geographic scope may be (and ideally will be) broader.
Field data from experimental farms at VIMS and cooperating farms are expected to be leveraged in this research, with collaboration likely with advisory service personnel, agriculture economists and/or marketing experts. The work will be firmly grounded in questions relevant to the commercial shellfish aquaculture industry.
Position responsibilities include:
Develop research plan that addresses one or more of the topics of interest;
Develop conceptual approaches and sampling protocols;
Collect data from field and lab-based studies;
Analyze data and statistical modeling;
Prepare reports and manuscripts describe results;
Coordinate meetings with the research team;
Present results at scientific conferences;
Discuss results with management agencies and other interested groups such as the VIMS Shellfish Aquaculture Program Exchange.
The project will involve travel to meet with managers and to present at scientific conferences, as well as to accomplish field-based studies as necessary.
Required Qualifications
At the time of appointment, the successful applicant will have a PhD in fisheries science, marine science, agricultural economics or similar, with a research focus on shellfish aquaculture, ecology and/or restoration.
Experience leading others in the sampling and handling of shellfish in the field.
Experience processing shellfish in the laboratory for tissue samples, shell condition, or similar.
Strong quantitative and experimental design skills.
Special Application Instructions
For full consideration please submit all application materials by the review date April 10, 2021.
Application materials should include:
1) a cover letter identifying availability for this position.
2) a 1-page statement describing relevant experiences and research interests.
3) a pdf of a peer-reviewed publication.
4) a full curriculum vitae
5) the names, addresses (including titles and institutions), email addresses, and telephone numbers of three references.