Finding food in a changing ocean: Estimating and comparing diets of New
Zealand’s seabirds
Undergraduate Research Assistant: Spring 2018
We are looking for an undergraduate student interested in
pursuing an independent, SEF-funded research project to join the Jones Lab and
examine the diet of some of New Zealand’s seabirds. Global climate change has
led to increased oceanic temperatures which will negatively impact marine
ecosystems. Shifts in oceanic conditions alter the productivity of marine
phytoplankton and can lead to trophic mismatches, which is when there is a
scarcity of prey during a critical and energetically demanding life-history
stage (e.g. breeding). Seabirds are often top predators in marine systems and
are excellent indicators of marine health. Their ability to successfully breed
each year is highly dependent on the productivity of waters surrounding their
nesting colonies. For breeding seabirds, trophic mismatching may result in an
inability to acquire sufficient prey for individual maintenance and successful
reproduction, as has been observed recently in the North Pacific Ocean. Given
that nearly one-third of seabird species are threatened with extinction, it is
critical to assess the changes that are occurring in marine food webs so that mitigation
strategies can be developed. New Zealand is the world’s seabird biodiversity
hotspot and provides ample opportunity to assess the potential impacts to
breeding seabirds posed by changes in prey species richness and abundance.
The student will work with PhD student Christy N. Wails to explore
this topic. The student will process stable isotope samples, assist in analyzing
results, present findings, and will have the opportunity to participate in
manuscript preparation. Compensation is available to support the student over a
12-week period.
Competitive applicants will be confident writers,
comfortable using Excel, and possess a basic understanding of statistics. A 3.0 or above GPA is required.
To apply, please send a cover letter, resume highlighting
relevant coursework and any research experience, a short writing sample, and
contact information for one reference in a single PDF to Christy N. Wails (wailscn@gmail.com) by 31 December 2017.
Please include “NZ seabird diet application” as the subject.
