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Postdoctoral research position in modelling marine ecosystem functioning
in relation with commercially exploited fish stocks, IFREMER, France

Subject and scientific context
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A postdoctoral research position in modelling marine ecosystem
functioning in relation with commercially exploited fish stocks is
available at the Fisheries Resource Laboratory of Port-en-Bessin
(IFREMER, Normandy, France). The successful applicant will be expected
to develop a simulation study of the Eastern English Channel ecosystem
functioning focusing on the direct and indirect consequences of human
activities (fisheries, marine aggregate extraction, wind farms, marine
reserves…) on commercial fish stocks. This work is intended to be based
on food web and mass-balance models and to include the spatial
distribution of fish stocks as described by fish habitat statistical
models developed by the hosting group and collaborators. The software
suite Ecopath with Ecosim is foreseen as the main modelling tool for
this work, at least in a first step.

This position is funded by the Regional Council of Haute-Normandie
(France) as part of a project on assessing the impact of marine
aggregate extraction on fish resources. It will also be imbedded
together with the hosting group in the second phase of an InterReg IIIA
European Project, CHARM, focusing on the spatial distribution and the
habitats of fisheries resources in the Eastern English Channel. The
CHARM project involves 8 different research institutions from Haute
Normandie and Nord-Pas de Calais in France and Kent in England (more
information on the project can be found at
http://charm.canterbury.ac.uk/index.htm), and some close collaboration
with the English counterpart of IFREMER, CEFAS (Lowestoft, UK) as well
as with the IFREMER’s Fisheries Resource Laboratory of Boulogne-sur-Mer
(Nord/Pas-de-Calais, France) is planned for this specific study.


Hosting organization
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER,
France; http://www.ifremer.fr) is an industrial and commercial public
company exclusively devoted to maritime interests and responsible, among
others, for the management of marine living resources. It operates under
the joint auspices of the National Ministry of Education, Research, and
Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Ministry of
Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Equipment,
Transport, and Housing. The Institute has presently about 1700 employees
distributed in 72 laboratories or research departments, located in 24
marine stations along the entire coastline of France and in the French
Overseas Territories.

The Fisheries Resource Laboratory in Port-en-Bessin is part of a marine
station located 30 kilometres north of the city of Caen (Normandy,
France) that consists of about 30 persons among whom 15 senior
researchers and 12 technicians. Together with the Fisheries Resource
Laboratory of Boulogne-sur-Mer, they constitute the English
Channel-North Sea Fisheries Resource Department of IFREMER. The team of
the laboratory combines expertise in stock assessment and management,
population dynamics, and marine ecosystem functioning with knowledge in
quantitative/population genetics and life-history evolution. The
laboratory contributes in collaboration with the Fisheries Resource
Laboratory of Boulogne-sur-Mer, to the scientific assessment of
fisheries and human activities within the Eastern English Channel and
the south of the North Sea (ICES area VIId and IVc4). It represents the
main local scientific partner for the fisheries management actors:
Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union, ICES working groups and
professional organizations; it ensures, within the framework of its
institutional mission, the transfer of knowledge towards a large audience.


Skills required
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The successful applicant should have a PhD in theoretical ecology or be
in the process of defending his/her PhD. He/she must have a strong
background in ecological modelling, statistics and data analysis.
Although the software suite Ecopath with Ecosim is a user-friendly
application, good programming skills are necessary since the project
might require some collaboration with developers. Background in marine
ecology and food webs would be beneficial.


Employment terms and applications
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The position is available immediately and will be open until October
2005. The position is for a one and a half year period (first contract
of one year, renewable for 6 months), with a gross salary around 28 000
euros per year plus health insurance, unemployment benefits, retirement
benefits, and a 10% bonus paid at the end of the contract for
precariousness. Applications should include a cover letter notifying the
interest in the position, a detailed curriculum vitae mentioning the
expected date of PhD defence when applicable, a summary of previous
research work, and two letters of scientific referees. These should be
submitted to:

Dr. Bruno Ernande
Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques
IFREMER
Avenue du Général de Gaulle
BP 32
F-14520 Port-en-Bessin
France

Applications via e-mail are also welcome: [log in to unmask]

--
-------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Bruno Ernande
Laboratoire Ressources Halieutiques
IFREMER
Avenue du Général de Gaulle, BP 32
F-14520 Port-en-bessin, France.
Standard (switchboard) : + 33 (0)2 31 51 56 00
Ligne directe (direct line) : + 33 (0)2 31 51 56 42
Fax : + 33 (0)2 31 51 56 01
email : [log in to unmask]
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