Under the EU project ActNow the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) of St Andrews University is offering a contract on "enhancing marine mammal predation models" that will commence in September 2024 and needs to be completed by 2025:

The work will enhance marine mammal predation models within existing ecosystem models based on expertise and long-term data available through the Sea Mammal Research Unit, to assess impacts of anthropogenic changes in marine ecosystems through realistic spatially explicit implementation of these ecosystem models, their fitting, uncertainty assessment and validation using SMRU movement and diet data.

The Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) has internationally recognised expertise in marine mammal ecology and the analyses of telemetry, diet and survey data. The data to be used in this project were collected and are managed by SMRU. ActNow PIs Smout and Russell are affiliated with the Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling (CREEM) at the University of St Andrews, which develops and applies cutting edge statistical techniques to applied ecological questions.

St Andrews is a member of the ActNow consortium, which is part of the H2020 program. This project aims to provide regulators and decision-makers with the tools they need to combat biodiversity loss in coastal and marine habitats threatened by climate change (CC) interacting with other local and regional drivers. Scientists within the project are using state-of-the-art tools to deliver concrete scientific advice for adaptation and mitigation measures, enabling sustainable expansion of the blue economy. The ActNow project will use ecosystem models to quantify and forecast how cumulative anthropogenic perturbations can affect the sustainability, productivity and resilience of marine ecosystems.

Non-UK applicants are accepted.