On behalf of David Gremillet
Here below is the detail of an offer for a post doc based at the CEFE in Montpellier. Applications run exclusively through the CNRS portal: https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/UMR5175-DAVGRE-007/Default.aspx?lang=EN
The position is in applied seabird ecology but there will be ample room to work on fundamental aspects of seabird migration ecology. We do not have an "in-house" candidate, so the game is completely open.
General information
Offer title : Postdoctoral Researcher in Spatial Ecology of Marine Birds (M/F) (H/F)
Reference : UMR5175-DAVGRE-007
Number of position : 1
Workplace : MONTPELLIER
Date of publication : 24 October 2024
Type of Contract : FTC Scientist
Contract Period : 22 months
Expected date of employment : 1 January 2025
Proportion of work : Full time
Remuneration : From €3,021.50 gross per month, depending on experience
Desired level of education : Niveau 8 - (Doctorat)
Experience required : Indifferent
Section(s) CN : Biodiversity, evolution and biological adaptations: from macromolecules to communities
Missions
The MIGRATLANE research programme (see: https://migratlane-telemetrie.fr/ ) is part of the development of offshore wind farms along the French Channel-Atlantic coast. The planning of maritime developments for the energy transition must be accompanied by a sound knowledge of the animal species that frequent these areas in order to ensure their preservation. The Office Français de la Biodiversité has therefore launched and is leading a research programme designed to collect data and characterise migratory flows, flight behaviour and altitudes, as well as important maritime areas for marine and land birds and bats. The programme is made up of six complementary components: visual, radar, acoustic and aerial monitoring and, of course, data analysis and modelling. The MIGRATLANE programme, which began at the end of 2022, will run for 4 years and finish at the end of 2026.
Phase 2 of the MIGRATLANE programme - Monitoring birds in the French Atlantic arc using telemetry - is being carried out by 4 organisations: the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris (MNHN), the Laboratoire Environnement et Société (LIENSs - University of La Rochelle), the Centre d'écologie fonctionnelle et évolutive (CEFE CNRS) in Montpellier and the Groupement d'intérêt scientifique oiseaux marins (GISOM) in Concarneau. Phase 2 focuses on the telemetric monitoring of birds, particularly seabirds, which are the subject of this post-doctoral project.
Activities
The aim of the post doc is to study 14 species of seabirds (terns, larids, procellariiformes, alcids, divers, sea ducks) monitored between 2023 and 2025 using GPS tags.
The data will be spatially analysed using tools for modelling habitat use (e.g. UD, SSF) and individual movements and behaviour, in particular using data on flight altitude, activity (accelerometer, magnetometer) and diving where applicable. The analyses will take into account seasonal and interannual variations, individual variability within each species, as well as the influence of environmental parameters (atmospheric and oceanographic) and their own variability. The analytical framework developed will be applied to all 14 species under consideration. In order to standardise the analyses and interpretations, these analyses will be carried out in conjunction with another post-doctorate focusing on the same issues, but concerning migratory land birds. In addition, the telemetric data should be used to feed the combined analysis models for all the MIGRATLANE data (telemetric, acoustic, radar, visual and aerial observations) developed by the batch 6 research team at the CEFE. Collaboration with the batch 6 team will therefore be very important and will determine certain methodological choices in data processing and analysis.
This post-doctoral study will characterise, at the scale of the French North-East Atlantic arc, migrations at sea and the functions of coastal and offshore areas for seabirds, both during the breeding and wintering periods.
In summary, this includes
- Manipulating and processing an existing dataset comprising several million entries (GPS location and associated sensor data).
- Analysing the biologging data in order to describe and model the movements, spatial use and behaviour of the species, taking account of environmental parameters and the context of offshore wind farm development.
- Combined data modelling for an integrative, spatialised approach to the movements of seabirds at sea in the context of present and future wind farm issues.
- Collaboration with other researchers from the programme within the 'Telemetry' team
- Facilitating the integration of telemetry data into the combined analysis models for all the MIGRATLANE programme data developed by the batch 6 team (at the CEFE).
- Participate in writing the deliverables of batch 2 of the MIGRATLANE programme (analysis reports) and in presenting the results at various meetings and steering committees.
- To promote the research through scientific publications and participation in national (partners, public authorities, MIGRATLANE symposium) and international conferences.
This work will provide unprecedented knowledge of the seabirds that frequent the north-east Atlantic arc:
- Calendars and preferential routes of migratory-
migratory routes
- Estimation of individual flows
- Behaviour and flight altitudes
- Spatial distribution
- Identification of feeding and resting
resting areas
This information will help to characterise the threats to the populations and to improve the implementation of public policies to preserve the species and their natural habitats, as well as to prevent potential impacts on these populations as part of the new planning of maritime uses. Interpretation of the results will also make it possible to identify the remaining gaps in knowledge in this context, which could be filled by new telemetric studies.
Skills
- Skills and experience in spatial and behavioural analysis of mobile species data.
- Skills and experience in database management, programming analysis routines (R/Python), spatial statistics and GIS tools (ideally QGIS) and, if possible, computer graphics.
- Specific skills in modelling the habitats of mobile species.
- Strong ability to work both as part of a team, including remotely, and independently. - Use of shared work tools.
- Knowledge of seabird ecology.
- Knowledge of migration ecology in the context of global change.
- Knowledge of physical and biological oceanography.
- Excellent writing and communication skills in French and English.
- Scientific rigour and strict adherence to deadlines.
Work Context
Working within the Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle & Évolutive (CEFE, https://www.cefe.cnrs.fr/fr/ ) and under the direction of David Grémillet, the post holder will work in close collaboration with scientific partners, in particular Frédéric Jiguet (CESCO-MNHN), Sophie de Grissac (CESCO-MNHN) and Antoine Chabrolle (GISOM-MNHN). Occasional participation in fieldwork is possible in the first year in order to collect the final data planned for the programme. Occasional travel to Paris is to be expected. A workstation and computer will be provided at the CEFE in Montpellier, with the possibility of teleworking for a maximum of two days a week. The CEFE is one of the most important ecology research laboratories in France, with a vibrant intellectual environment and permanent scientific activities, promoted in particular by the dozens of PhD students and students from the University of Montpellier. CEFE staff are a natural part of a Montpellier ecology/evolution research community of over 2,000 people.
Constraints and risks
Very limited risks as the necessary data is already available
Salutations
David
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