NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED

We are looking for an enthusiastic, responsible, and hard-working individual to fill the position of Research Technician. The position will entail full time hours working from May to December 2023. The technician will help conduct a scientific study of oyster growth rates and shell shape in a new design of oyster cages developed by Dockport Ltd. The technician’s primary role will be to support the successful analysis of existing data sets, implement the summer 2023 research plan, complete analysis of the summer 2023 data, and to help to prepare oral and written communications about the data and the study’s conclusions. Summer field work will include travel to several aquaculture sites across the Maritimes. In the Fall, work will be office-based to synthesize, compile, and write a report on the research findings.

Please see the full job description, preferred qualifications, and application procedure here.

Kudos to Makayla, winning the Biology communication award for posters at this years Science Atlantic Undergraduate Biology Conference! Makayla’s Honours thesis focused on detailed descriptions and quantification of the movement patterns of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The overarching goal is to understand odour-based navigation strategies in the snails, and Makayla’s research lays the groundwork for experiments that can hopefully tease apart the strategies the snails may be using.

Interested in aquatic animal behaviour, with practical implications for sustainable fisheries and marine conservation?

Interested in building expertise in a range of techniques, including field work (snorkeling or SCUBA), Remotely Operated Vehicle use, and machine-learning-assisted video analysis of behavioural observations?

Our research is focused on building a more detailed understanding of juvenile lobster behaviour. We have developed tripod-mounted underwater camera systems that are effective at recording lobster behaviours in their natural habitat. The cameras provide unprecedented detail over durations far longer (up to 9 h of recording time) than has been achieved in past studies via SCUBA or other methods.  To date, we have focused on foraging behaviours of adult lobsters.  Our goal now is to shift our focus to juvenile lobsters behaviour and behavioural ecology.  Additional observations are planned using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

Our primary goal is to establish a baseline data set of juvenile lobster behaviour.  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has recently created a series of marine protected areas in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Scallop Buffer Zones exclude scallop dragging, and are designed to protect juvenile lobster habitat. Our behavioural work will establish a baseline for on-going monitoring of juvenile lobsters into the future.  The behavioural data will be combined with additional population density surveys to assess the effectiveness of the marine protected areas, to help manage the lobster fishery, and to monitor the possible effects of climate change on the lobster population. 

Position start date: Sept 2023 or Jan 2024

For further information or to apply, contact Dr. Russell Wyeth: rwyeth@stfx.ca

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Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Sustainable Anti-biofouling Technologies

• Are you passionate about developing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges in trillion-dollar ocean industries?

• Are you interested in developing interdisciplinary skills in collaboration with experts from industry and academia?

Memorial University of Newfoundland-Grenfell Campus and St. Francis Xavier University, through funding from the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI), Mitacs and industrial collaborator Graphite Innovation and Technologies (GIT), are recruiting a Post-Doctoral Fellow to develop cutting edge anti-biofouling technologies for ocean industries in Atlantic Canada.

For more information and how to apply, please click here.

We’re in the news! Hakai magazine has a big article about the complexities of the bait issue in lobster harvesting. Our research on lobster foraging responses is highlighted as part of the varied efforts being put towards alternative bait adoption in the fishery. Hopefully this can help build some momentum towards switching to more sustainable bait options in the long run. Big kudos to the small army of students who have worked on the project over the years: Grace, Rachel, Michelle, Gavin, Laura, James, Aidan, Megan, Max, and Lia, and thanks to Moira Donovan for the article.

Kudos to Makayla and James who both received academic achievement awards from the Biology Department this year!