Euphausiids (or krill) are key zooplankton prey for fishes, marine mammals, and seabirds in both the eastern Bering Sea and in the Gulf of Alaska. Information about year-to-year changes in the abundance and distribution of euphausiids would be useful for assessments of both commercial fish stocks and ecosystem conditions, but these data are scant. In the eastern Bering Sea, a time series of euphausiid biomass was recently developed using data from acoustic-trawl surveys of walleye pollock that are regularly conducted by NOAA Fisheries, Alaska Fisheries Science Center. These data have allowed new insights into feeding conditions for walleye pollock, into how predation along with climate may influence the abundance of euphausiids, and into variability in the amount of large crustacean zooplankton prey available for the fish, birds, and mammals at higher trophic levels. We seek an Associate to work with us to develop this approach using data collected during biennial acoustic-trawl surveys in the central Gulf of Alaska, create a new euphausiid time series for use in stock and ecosystem assessments, and to compare the temporal and spatial variability in abundance of zooplanktivorous fishes and euphausiids in two contrasting high-latitude ecosystems: the Gulf of Alaska and the eastern Bering Sea.
Applicants should have attained a Ph.D. in oceanography, fisheries, zooplankton ecology, or related field within the last five years. Good quantitative abilities, written and oral communication skills, and programming experience (Matlab preferred) are needed, and applicants should be willing and able to go to sea and participate in a fisheries survey and research cruise in the Gulf of Alaska. Previous experience with fisheries or zooplankton acoustics and statistical analysis of ecological data are a plus. Travel funding is available to support presentation at scientific meetings and participation in field data collection.
References
Ressler PH, et al: Deep-Sea Research II 65-70: 184, 2012
De Robertis A, McKelvey DR, Ressler PH: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 67: 1459, 2012
Fisheries; Acoustics; Zooplankton; Alaska; Walleye pollock; Euphausiids; Oceanography; Ecosystem-based fisheries management;