I'm recruiting a PhD student at Swansea University to use genomic and ecological techniques help boost the success of the reintroduction of pool frogs; the UK's rarest amphibian.
Reintroduction is a vital conservation tool, used to re-establish species following local extinction. However, only around 30% of reintroductions are successful, so a key priority is to understand how to boost success. We will work with project partners the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) Trust and the Institute of Zoology (IOZ) to enhance the reintroduction of the pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae). This species was reintroduced to the UK in 2005 following extinction in the 1990s, and populations are breeding, although there are issues with small population sizes and breeding pool abandonment. This PhD will take a comprehensive approach to understanding reintroduction success, combining ecological, physiological and behavioural data (collected in the field with ARC) with health, disease and genomic data (collected in conjunction with IOZ). We will (1) investigate whether genomic diversity is stable or reducing in the reintroduced populations (2) investigate links between genomic diversity, reproductive fitness and health (3) explore how pool frogs use different habitats within the reintroduction sites and (4) establish how pool management techniques can boost breeding pool use. The results will directly inform ARC in genomic and habitat management strategies in UK pool frogs and will more broadly shape future reintroduction projects in the UK and globally.
Due to the funding requirements, we can only accept applications from students eligible for UK tuition fee rates (e.g. UK nationals or residents).
Application deadline: 8th December 2023
Position starts: October 2024
Please see our website for more details and information on how to apply: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate/scholarships/research/biological-sciences-sures-phd-informing-2024-rs464.php
Please contact Dr Hazel Nichols (h.j.nichols@swansea.ac.uk) if you'd like to discuss the position further.