see http://www.birdlife.org.au/locations/australasian-seabird-group/research-asg
Seabird at-sea Surveys on the CSIROs RV Investigator
"Project Outline:
The project will collect data to quantify the variability in the distribution
and abundance of seabirds in the oceans around Australia over a broad range of
temporal and spatial scales. The project will examine the relationships between
physical oceanographic features, such as oceanographic fronts, continental
shelf breaks and the marginal ice zones and their use as seabird feeding areas.
Marine mammals also use many of these oceanographic features. The study also
seeks to identify species assemblages, or associations, in the species of
seabirds observed that are persistent over time.
The project will collect new data for seabirds around Australia, for which
there are very few (and in many cases, nil) quantitative data. The project will
use standard survey methods to ensure compatibility with existing data sets for
the same species in other areas (eg Southern Ocean).
The expected outcomes will be the publication of the data syntheses and
analyses. Publication of comparative surveys will be undertaken when sufficient
Research Voyages or Transit Voyages overlay previous efforts, either published
or unpublished. The significance of such work will be realized by the
accumulation of such publications allowing for a better understanding of the
distribution and abundance of seabirds within our near-by oceans.
The data will be shared with marine mammal researchers to facilitate greater
understanding of the role of oceanographic processes in the distribution of
marine mammals at sea. The project will also provide a context to current
efforts to track seabirds and marine mammals, which are typically constrained
to a relatively low number of instrumented individuals.
The Australasian Seabird Group (ASG) is looking for interested, skilled
volunteer observers to take part in voyages of various lengths (transit: 4 days
to expedition: 50 days). This is a scientific project, not a bird watching or
twitching tour, and all participants will need to be mindful they will be
working among professional scientists and technicians and that they will be
representing BirdLife Australia/Birds New Zealand on board Investigator.
Applicants will need to be able to cover the costs of their airfares to and
from the ports where the vessel will depart and arrive at, within Australia.
They will need to be prepared to undertake a full medical examination (only
available in capital cities and some regional centres in Australia) as befits
remote area working (medical costs are paid by CSIRO). Applicants will need to
provide evidence of their competence in seabird identification, two referees
and a CV that demonstrates some level of scientific survey participation/data
analyses and any publication that was a result of research/observational work.
Applicants with previous at-sea experience are preferred. Membership of the ASG
and BirdLife Australia/Birds New Zealand is essential (organisational
membership is necessary for insurance reasons).
Contact Eric: 0438 204 565 or Nicholas:
0419 909 707"
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