PH.D Position at Univeristy of Liverpool

Coping with climate change in European Lobsters

Ph.D Position at University of Liverpool. UK

The marine environment has been subject to environmental perturbations due to climate change and this may have a negative impact on animals through stress. Further, commercially important species such as lobsters are also vulnerable to over-fishing which may mean these species are at risk. This project seeks to understand how the European lobster is affected by temperature and associated reduced oxygen in the environment. This studentship will involve observational and experimental approaches to study the behaviour of these fascinating marine animals. Firstly, the growth and behavioural and physiological profiles of these animals shall be investigated when offspring are subject to environmental variation. This will allow us to determine not only how climate change affects these lobsters but will also inform the optimal conditions for growth.

Secondly, the project will analyse which hormones are produced during stress and how these are linked to behavioural measures such as aggression. Contemporary screening technology, proteomics, can be used to identify hormonal changes during changes in environmental conditions. The project will also explore whether non-invasive measures of physiology can be used via collection of water-borne hormones.

Finally, this studentship will explore some of the factors which may enhance survival of larval and juvenile lobsters, improve how quickly they grow, and make sure that by the time of release they have the necessary behaviours to survive in the wild. Field studies will determine how well lobsters survive upon release into the wild. By collaborating with the Anglesey Sea Zoo the student will work with an important stakeholder to inform the development of a sustainable breeding that will negate the need for collection of wild animals thus conserving lobster populations.

This PhD project will suit a student with interests in marine biology, animal conservation, behavioural ecology and/or the effects of climate change on marine biodiversity.

To apply, please visit: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/
Please upload your cover letter when asked for your personal statement; For this application only a research proposal is not required.

Supervisors:

Dr Jack Thomson (contact jthomson@liverpool.ac.uk)

Dr Lynne Sneddon

Dr Kate Arnold, University of York

Field Courses and Volunteer Programmes with Borneo Nature Foundation

The Borneo Nature Foundation is looking for prospective students to partake in our Volunteer Programme and field course opportunities in 2019.

We are a research and conservation organisation working in Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Our main study site in the Sabangau Forest is home to the world’s largest lowland populations of Bornearn orangutans and southern Bornean gibbons.

We work at the forefront of primate research in tropical forest environments and are affiliated with the University of Palangka Raya and Universitas Muhammadiyah in Kalimantan, and British universities of Oxford Brookes and Exeter. Many of our previous volunteers and students have returned to Borneo Nature Foundation as long-term research assistants or have gone on to careers and further research in biodiversity conservation.

 

 Field Courses:

Join us in 2019 for intensive two-week and four-week ecology field course opportunities in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. With almost twenty years of research experience within Central Kalimantan, BNF is supported by both international and local scientific experts to share their knowledge about primates, mammals, botany, ecology, research, biodiversity, conservation and education with prospective students during these field courses. We are looking for students who will thrive in a remote jungle setting in a small camp with simple facilities and are eager to learn within this environment. These programmes are primarily aimed at students of the biological and geographical sciences who wish to learn about biodiversity and habitat monitoring techniques and gain first-hand experience in a tropical peat-swamp forest environment. Topics you will learn about include primate survey methods, peat-swamp ecology, survey methods of ecological indicator species, research and technology and threats and conservation strategies in peat-swamp forest. We will be offering two different courses in July 2019 and one course in January 2020. You can receive college credit for the course through our partner, the Institute for Field Research, as well as scholarships for the courses.

To apply and find out more please visit our partner’s website: https://ifrglobal.org/programs/

Volunteer Programme:

We need fit, enthusiastic individuals to join our 2019 Volunteer Programme, who will thrive in a jungle setting with basic camp facilities. In return, we offer a challenging, yet rewarding experience, which will help to ensure conservation work is carried out to secure a future for the last remaining forests in Borneo. As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to develop new skills as you learn about field research techniques and contribute to BNF’s conservation and educational activities, helping us with activities such as replanting a burnt forest or building a forest classroom.

Dates

Group 1: 1^st – 29^th April 2019 (deadline 1^st March)

Group 2: 29^th May – 26^th June 2019 (deadline 1^st May)

Group 3: 14^th August – 11^th September 2019 (deadline 1^st July)

Group 4: 3^rd – 31^st October 2019 (deadline 1^st September)

 If you think you would be interested in joining BNF’s Volunteer Programme, please email join@borneonature.org to request a Volunteer Brochure and Application Form. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to email for further information.

For regular updates on our fieldwork follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Large number of Ph.D. positions in collective behaviour - International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology

we have a large number of open Ph.D. positions in collective behaviour, and associated fields, in our International Max Planck Research School for Organismal Biology at the University of Konstanz and Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, including:

Social Complexity and Communication Systems in Birds

Keywords social complexity, cultural evolution, vocal learning, social systems, parrots, birds

Advisors  Mary Brooke McElreath1,2mary_mcelreath@eva.mpg.de and Lucy Aplin1 laplin@orn.mpg.de

 1Max Planck Institute for Ornithology & 2Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

[more]

The interaction between social behaviour and physical structures in coral reef fishes

Keywords coral reef fish, social behaviour, ecological engineering, physical structure, SCUBA, machine-learning, animal tracking, social network analysis

Main supervisor Alex Jordan, MPI for Ornithology

[more]

Quantitative comparison of behavioural evolution in social fishes

Keywords cichlid fishes, social behaviour, socio-cognitive skills, SCUBA, machine-learning, animal tracking, social network analysis, Lake Tanganyika

Main supervisor Alex Jordan, MPI for Ornithology

[more]

Communication and collective movement in coati groups

Keywords. Collective behaviour, vocal communication, movement coordination, GPS, computational analysis, group coordination 

Supervisors. Prof. Meg Crofoot and Dr. Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin, University of Konstanz

[more]

Collective sensing of the resource landscape in migratory fruit bats

Keywords: migration, animal tracking, GPS, foraging, energetic expenditure, sensory networks

Advisors: Teague O'Mara, Dina Dechmann and Martin Wikelski, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell

[more]

Collective migration in a long-distance social migrant

Keywords white storks, collective migration, animal tracking, group coordination, flight energetics

Main supervisor Andrea Flack, MPI for Ornithology

[more]

Computational Approaches to the Experimental Study of Animal Collectives

Keywords self-organization, swarm, school, behavior, information, automated tracking, machine learning, virtual reality, inverse methodologies.

Main adviser Iain Couzin, MPI for Ornithology + University of Konstanz

[more]

Collective Animal Behaviour

Keywords self-organization, swarm, schooling, behavior, information, fish, locusts, birds, tracking, computer vision, virtual reality, self-organization, decision-making, individual differences, evolution

Main adviser Iain Couzin, MPI for Ornithology + University of Konstanz

[more]

3 positions - the neurobiological and behavioural basis of swarming in locusts

Keywords: Locust swarm, virtual reality, collective behaviour, sensory coding, active sensing, olfaction, decision making
Main advisors: 
Giovanni Galizia, University of Konstanz
Einat Couzin-Fuchs, University of Konstanz
Iain Couzin, University of Konstanz + MPI for Ornithology [more]

Social contagion of stress responses and consequences for collective action in birds

Keywords: animal social networks, collective behaviour, group-living, indirect effects, social evolution, social resilience, stress physiology
Main advisors: Damien Farine(University of Konstanz and MPI) and Neeltje Boogert (University of Exeter) [more]

Social learning and cultural inheritance in birds, Parus major

Keywords: collective behaviour, social learning, animal culture, birds, cognitive ecology
Main advisor: Lucy Aplin, MPI for Ornithology

[more]

Further details, and information as to how to apply can be found here: http://www.orn.mpg.de/projects

Field and Lab Research Project Leader (Univ of Lethbridge)

Appels d'offre pour Projet Protection Gorilles au Gabon et Congo

Deux appels d offre pour les Projets Protection Gorilles au Gabon et Congo 

Au Gabon:
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/jobs/listings/38707

Au Congo:
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/jobs/listings/38675

Five NERC PhD studentships in Animal Behaviour, Univ. Exeter

We are currently advertising five fully funded NERC PhD studentships in the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB) at the
University of Exeter, to start in September 2019: https://psychology.exeter.ac.uk/research/centres/crab/studentships/. These are for the following projects:

1. Social isolation in macaques, supervised by Dr Lauren Brent
(http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3317)

2. Family dynamics in killer whales, supervised by Prof. Darren Croft
(http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3344)

3. Effects of light pollution on bees, supervised by Dr Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
(http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3348)

4. Courtship in fiddler crabs, supervised by Dr Tim Fawcett & Dr Safi Darden
(http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3318)

5. Pheasant diet and its ecological impacts, supervised by Dr Joah Madden
(http://www.exeter.ac.uk/studying/funding/award/?id=3310)

The deadline for applications is 7 January 2019. If you'd like to know more, please drop us a line!

Offre de stage de master

Sujet de stage: Evaluation de l’efficacité d’un dispositif d’effarouchement aviaire sur l’aéroport de
Lyon St-Exupéry
Thème de recherche: Signaux visuels, signaux acoustiques, effarouchement, suivi présence
d’oiseaux, éco-éthologie appliquée.
Signataire de la convention de stage
Aéroport de Lyon Saint-Exupéry, 69125 Colombier-Saugnieu (en partenariat avec AirBird SAS,
Pépinière d’Entreprises Innovantes, 139 Rue Philippe de Girard, 84120 Pertuis)
Laboratoire partenaire
Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle, Neuro-PSI, CNRS UMR 9197, Université de Lyon/SaintEtienne, 23 rue Michelon, 42023 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2, France
Responsables de stage:
- Julien Lhopital (Julien.LHOPITAL@lyonaeroports.com)
- Ingrid Boucaud (ingrid.boucaud@airbird.eu)
- Frédéric Sèbe (frederic.sebe@univ-st-etienne.fr)
En  France,  on  compte  environ  800  collisions  entre  des  avions  et  des  oiseaux  chaque  année.  La
présence d’oiseaux sur les aéroports doit donc être contrôlée afin de limiter les risques et protéger
les appareils et les oiseaux. Des équipes de lutte aviaire sont chargées de confiner la localisation des
oiseaux  de  façon  à  réduire  au  maximum  les  risques.  Les  techniques  d’aménagement,  qui  visent  à
limiter l’attractivité de la zone pour les oiseaux (comme la gestion des ressources en nourriture et en
eau),  se  montrent  relativement  efficaces  mais  doivent  être  complétées  par  des  actions
d’effarouchement  dans  les  zones  les  plus  sensibles.  De  nombreux  dispositifs  sont  utilisés
actuellement mais ils peuvent être difficiles à mettre en œuvre ou induire de l’habituation chez les
oiseaux.  Airbird  est  une  jeune  entreprise  développant  des  effaroucheurs  innovants,  basés  sur  des
signaux  acoustiques  et  visuels  biologiquement  pertinents  pour  les  oiseaux.  Ces  systèmes  sont
actuellement testés en conditions réelles, sur aéroports. Les objectifs de ces études sont de valider
l’efficacité des signaux et d’améliorer leurs performances en termes d’efficacité et d’habituation.
De  nombreux  rapaces,  notamment  des  Faucons  crécerelles  sont  présents  sur  l’aéroport  de  Lyon
Saint-Exupéry. En  2019,  une  combinaison  de  signaux  d’effarouchement  acoustiques  et  visuels  sera
testée, pendant la période de présence des oiseaux (mai à août). L’étudiant·e aura principalement à
charge  de  faire  les  observations  de  présence  d’oiseaux  sur  les  pistes  afin  d’évaluer  l’efficacité  du
dispositif et quantifier les phénomènes d’habituation.
Profil recherché
-  Etudiant·e en écologie et/ou éthologie
-  Connaissances en ornithologie de façon à pouvoir distinguer les différentes espèces
présentes sur l’aéroport, en particulier les rapaces
-  Connaissances en SIG
-  Grande rigueur dans les observations et la prise de données
-  Traitement statistique
Aspects pratiques
Période: de 3 à 5 mois durant la période du 1 avril au 31 août 2019.
Lieu  de  stage:  l’essentiel  du  stage  aura  lieu  sur  l’aéroport  de  Lyon  Saint-Exupéry.  Des  passages
réguliers  au  laboratoire  ENES  (St-Etienne)  sont  à  prévoir  (frais  de  déplacements  en  transport  en
commun entre Lyon et Saint-Etienne pouvant être pris en charge par l’organisme d’accueil).
Indemnité de stage: environ 530 euros par mois
Candidatures: Envoyer CV et lettre de motivation par e-mail à Frédéric Sèbe et Ingrid Boucaud au
plus tard le 4 janvier 2019.

CDD 6 mois - Projet baitfish

Tous les infos ici : https://ifremer.jobs.net/job/cdd-cadre-en-ethologie-biologie-appliquee-a-letude-du-comportement-des-poissons/J3N4HS6WRLWWTF631HH

4-year Vice-Chancellor's Fellowship in Animal Health, Welfare and Behaviour available at Bristol University

Bristol University Veterinary School plans to appoint a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow in one of the following areas.

Area 1 - Automated Animal Welfare Assessment

Area 2 – Fundamental Behaviour Underpinning Animal Welfare

Area 3 – Understanding and manipulating microbiomes and epigenomes

We are looking for the highest quality candidates with relevant research in one of the above areas who will seize the development opportunities provided and become future research leaders in their field.

• a PhD in a relevant field or equivalent
  
• started to establish a reputation for top quality research
  
• strong leadership qualities and an enthusiasm for developing skills in teaching, leadership, impact development and engagement
  
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills
  

We welcome applications from internal and external candidates, including individuals who have taken a career break due to maternity, paternity, adoption leave, illness or other exceptional circumstances.Candidates with an existing permanent academic position are considered to have achieved the aims of the scheme and will not be eligible to apply.

Full details are available at: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/vc-fellows/about/health-wellbeing/vet-sciences/#d.en.419511

Key dates

Find a Sponsor: Friday 21st December 2018.  

Application Deadline: Midnight Thursday 10th January 2019. 

Shortlisted candidates will be notified by the end of February 2019.

We anticipate that panel interviews will be held in March.

Final decisions will be made in April 2019.

Successful applicants are expected to be in post by early November 2019.

Deux offres de stage de M2

Deux stages de M2 sont à pourvoir pour le premier semestre 2019 (voir détail en pièce jointe), au laboratoire de Prof. Claude Tomberg, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Bruxelles, Belgique. Ces stages ne sont pas gratifiés. Cependant, il existe des bourses types Erasmus pour les stages à l'étranger. Les étudiants peuvent également bénéficier d’un tarif avantageux pour leur logement (ils sont libres de choisir leur logement mais le laboratoire leur offre cette opportunité s’ils le souhaitent). 

Study of the self and the other in social heterospecific cognition in horses: study of the sensitivity of the horse to the body orientation and the faces of others when using visual signals

Horses appear to be sensitive human attentional states (Proops & Mc Comb, 2010) and able to read human bodily attentional signals including body and head orientation and subtle eye cues (Proops and McComb 2010, Krueger et al. 2011; Maros et al. 2008; Sankey et al. 2011).

Yet little is known how far horses are using these attentional cues to adapt their behavior. A recent study (Ringhofer M. & Yamamoto, S, 2017) suggest that horses alter their communicative behaviour towards humans in accordance with humans’ knowledge state suggesting that horses possess some cognitive basis for this ability of understanding others’ knowledge state in social communication with humans.

Moreover, how horses understand what humans see or not is yet unclear (the visual field of humans and horses are quite different).

In this study we aim at investigating how horses adapt their communicative behavior to the attentional state of humans.

The items will be:

·       Identify the communicative cues of the horses (body language, mimicking) for asking for food they cannot reach by themselves

·       Validate/invalidate the intentional content of theses communicative signals

·       Investigate if horses adapt their communicative behavior to human attentional state

·       How horses understand what humans see or not

·       Recording event-related potentials in horses to track neural correlates of conscious perception

The research will be conducted at the Université libre de Bruxelles, Faculty of Medecine with the collaboration of the Haras du Chaimont (1460 Ittre, Belgique).

 The first part of the study has been done (data acquisition and screening of behaviors) but the deep analysis of the data needs to be complete. Therefore, an opportunity to contribute to this research and its developments is offered for two research students in Master 2 in fields related to cognitive sciences (ethology, psychology, neurosciences etc…) wishing to experience 6 months in research process.

Contact: Prof. Claude Tomberg, Faculty of Medecine, University of Brussels, Belgium

    ctomberg@ulb.ac.be

Date: First semester 2019