MSc Social Communication in Atlantic puffins

I am recruiting 2 MSc students to join the Visual Ecology @ MUN lab. Students will be enrolled in the Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology program. Faculty members part of this program are drawn from the Departments of Psychology, Biology, Ocean Sciences, the Environmental Science Division (Grenfell) and Marine Institute. Adjunct Professors from Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Newfoundland and Labrador Wildlife and Forestry Divisions and Parks Canada also contribute to student supervision and teaching.

Memorial University of Newfoundland hosts 3800 graduate students across more than 100 programs. The St. John’s campus is in the province’s capital city where a 10 minute bike ride can take you to historic fishing villages, breathtaking ocean views, or to the heart of downtown.

1) For the second position, I am looking for a student with field experience working with birds to study Atlantic puffins. The objective of the project will be to determine if the colour and markings on the bill can be used for individual recognition, in the context of social communication. The research will be conducted in the Witless Bay Reserve, home to the second largest colony of Atlantic puffins in the world. Start date is May 2020.

2) For the second position, I am looking for a student with a strong Computer Science background, preferably in Computer Vision and Machine Learning to study Atlantic puffins. Complimenting the work of the position described above, fieldwork will also be conducted in the Witless Bay Reserve. Start date is May 2020.

All positions are fully funded for 2 years in the CABE program (19,500 CAD/year). To apply, please send a statement of interest, a CV, and transcripts (unofficial) to pbitton@mun.ca. Review of applicants will start November 15, 2019.

Pierre-Paul Bitton | Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology, Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology

Memorial University of Newfoundland

www.visualecologymun.net