Postdoc Teacher-Scholar in Applied Coastal Ecology and Restoration, Duke University Marine Lab

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoc in the Silliman Lab in the Department of Marine Science and Conservation at Duke University. The position is ideally suited to researchers with interests in applied coastal ecology. There is room for independence in addition to a partial focus on marsh restoration and nature-based infrastructure on a project funded by the US Navy. In addition to research, the post-doctoral scholar will be required to teach a 4-5 week long field course each spring semester on Coastal Restoration Ecology. The course will be taught at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, NC, and the post doctoral teacher-scholar must be in residence at the marine lab or living nearby while the class is being taught.

For the US Navy project, we are using a multi-disciplinary technical approach combining on-the-ground field surveys, water quality monitoring, drone surveys, and ecosystem service modelling to generate estimates of ecosystem functions and services provided by a living shoreline that is being constructed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The first year of the post-doc will focus on field data collection which will inform the ecosystem service modeling component of the project that will be completed in the final project year. The postdoc will be in charge of coordinating and conducting all fieldwork, analyzing data, and conducting ecosystem service modeling to quantify nursery habitat provisioning, augmented secondary production of valuable fishes and crustaceans, water quality improvements, shoreline protection, and carbon sequestration.

The postdoctoral fellow will be supervised by Dr. Brian Silliman (Duke University) with many opportunities to collaborate with others at Duke and in coastal NC. The field work environment will be on the beautiful Duke Marine Lab Campus in Beaufort NC, with easy access to saltmarsh, oyster reef, seagrass, and beach ecosystems. The research environment is complemented by colleagues from UNC Chapel Hill’s Institute for Marine Science, NC State University’s Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, NOAA, and others. The post-doctoral scholar will be based in Durham and travel to the coast for research as needed.

Qualifications A successful applicant will have earned a PhD in Ecology, Marine sciences, or a related field by the time of appointment. The postdoc will have the opportunity to mentor graduate and undergraduate students, design and lead research, manage and analyze large datasets, and prepare conference presentations and manuscripts. The ideal candidate will be skilled with field sampling methodology, statistics, and ecosystem service modeling. Applicants with evidence of creativity, productivity, strong oral and written communication abilities, and enthusiasm are especially encouraged to apply, particularly those that bring a new perspective, new ideas, or a new skillset to the team. A promising record of publication is highly valued. The successful applicant will be an independent, motivated problem solver who communicates well and enjoys working in a collaborative setting.

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