PhD Studentship: Understanding the effects of rapid environmental change on the ecology of a key Southern Ocean predator, the Antarctic fur seal, NERC GW4+ DTP PhD studentship for 2023 Entry, PhD in Earth and Environmental Science

Project Title: Understanding the effects of rapid environmental change on the ecology of a key Southern Ocean predator, the Antarctic fur seal.

About the Partnership

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC Great Western Four+ Doctoral Training Partnership (GW4+ DTP).  The GW4+ DTP consists of the Great Western Four alliance of the University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the University of Exeter plus five Research Organisation partners:  British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology,  the Natural History Museum and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

For eligible successful applicants, the studentships comprises:

• An stipend for 3.5 years (currently £17,668 p.a. for 2022-23) in line with UK Research and Innovation rates
• Payment of university tuition fees;
• A research budget of £11,000 for an international conference, lab, field and research expenses;
• A training budget of £3,250 for specialist training courses and expenses

Project Background

This project will investigate the differences in the foraging ecology and patterns of habitat utilisation of Antarctic fur seals across a latitudinal gradient across the Polar Front (South Georgia and South Shetland Islands), as well as build models to project future changes as the environment continues to change. Atmospheric, oceanographic, and sea ice conditions in this region of the Southern Ocean (western Antarctic Peninsula/Drake Passage/Scotia Sea) are rapidly shifting because of human-induced Global Climate Change and local environmental processes.

Because the ecology of Antarctic fur seals is tightly linked to the population of their dominant prey, the Antarctic krill, this study will help anticipate how this important prey and the entire krill-dependent community of large predators (whales, penguins, and seals) will respond to the projected environmental changes. Further, ecological historical data from museum specimens provide a unique opportunity to detect past and project future changes in the ecology of this conspicuous Antarctic mesopredator over multiple decades.

Project Aims and Methods

Examine differences in foraging behaviour of Antarctic fur seals across a latitudinal gradient.

Develop and compare habitat models derived from tracking data using a suite of environmental covariates at the appropriate spatio-temporal resolution.

Examine whether the foraging behaviour and habitat utilisation of Antarctic fur seals have changed over the last decades using Stable Isotope Analyses (SIA).

Candidate requirements

The successful candidate will have a background in ecology, excellent quantitative and analytical skills, and will demonstrate a strong interest in foraging ecology and behaviour of marine predators. Expertise in programming in R, Matlab, and/or Python and statistical analyses is indispensable. Experience working with stable isotopes, and biologging data is advantageous. The successful applicant will have to travel between Cornwall, London, and Cambridge, as well as to international conferences. Applicants should satisfy the UKRI eligibility requirements.

Project partners

• Centre for Ecology and Conservation (CEC) at the University of Exeter, Cornwall
• British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
• The Natural History Museum (NHM)

Training

The candidate will work with a wide network of collaborators, including the outstanding academic staff at CEC, BAS and NHM. The multi-disciplinary nature of the study will give access to a wide network of collaborators and working groups. The student will receive specialised training to develop their skills in analyses of large datasets of bio-logging data, stable isotope analyses (including laboratory training and instrument operation), presentation of scientific results, scientific outreach, and teaching, among many other aspects.