MSc – Benthic Macroinvertebrates
We are excited to be recruiting a graduate student (MSc program) to join the Aquatic Ecology Lab under the supervision of Dr Fred Wrona, the SVARE research chair in integrated watershed processes in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary. The ideal student would be willing to start a program in January 2022, with work available (and encouraged) through fall 2021. The project is part of a multi-researcher collaborative project with a focus on the Christina Lake watershed within Athabasca Oil Sands Region. The project is looking at evaluating benthic macroinvertebrate community composition, utilizing historical data (Mid-1990’s) as well as additional contemporary data to be collected by project collaborators and the student. The focus of the work is to identify temporal changes in community composition. The project is a collaborative effort with Environment and Climate Change Canada and is funded through the Oil Sands Monitoring program.
Due to the nature of the project, the student will be working collaboratively with staff and researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada, Alberta Environment and Parks and other associated senior researchers. As always, the student will have the opportunity to refine the project to align with their interests. The position is fully funded (see departmental website for details) but the student will be encouraged and supported to acquire supplemental funding, with support and direction being provided. A degree in the biological sciences (or comparable) with an interest/background in benthic macroinvertebrates and/or basal foodwebs is required. Experience with Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) sampling protocols for benthic macroinvertebrates would be considered an asset. This project will require some fieldwork in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region. Interested students are asked to reach out to Dr Wrona (frederickjohn.wrona@ucalgary.ca) and/or David Barrett (laboratory coordinator (david.barrett@ucalgary.ca) with a copy of unofficial transcripts and a brief expression of interest prior to submitting their application to the University. Please take note of application deadlines found on the departmental website to ensure they are not missed.