Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

The deep-sea remains one of the least explored and understood environments on our planet. Animals within this environment are hard to find, and interactions among them are even harder to investigate. This limited understanding impedes the development of effective management strategies to mitigate the mounting pressures of climate change, deep-sea mining, bottom trawling, and overfishing.

To address these challenges and innovate deep-sea monitoring, researchers from the Minderoo Foundation, the University of Western Australia, and Curtin University are developing an environmental DNA toolkit for the deep-sea. This work is an integral part of a comprehensive deep-sea initiative supported by the Minderoo Foundation, designed to advance our understanding of deep-sea biodiversity and contribute to the conservation of these fragile ecosystems. This project will characterise biodiversity in unexplored deep-sea environments and investigate trophic relationships across the vertical water column using eDNA analyses. This project will capitalise on collaboration between Minderoo’s OceanOmics Program and the Minderoo-UWA Deep Sea Research Centre, while also offering a unique opportunity for partnerships with other prominent scientific organizations. The project incorporates fields of eDNA metabarcoding, conservation genetics, and other genomic applications, with analyses integrated into scheduled trips aboard Pangaea Ocean Explorer, the RV Dagon, and/or other vessels of opportunity.

The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Georgia Nester (Minderoo Foundation), Professor Alan Jamieson (Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre), and Professor Simon Jarman (Curtin University).

Academic excellence: Strong academic performance through relevant undergraduate studies (e.g., marine biology/ecology, genetics, etc.).

Relevant educational background: Completed undergraduate degree, honours or masters degree in a related field (e.g., molecular ecology/biology, genetics).

Research experience:  Demonstrated research experience in molecular ecology/biology or a related field through projects, publications, and/or presentations.

Field experience: Ship/boat experience is desirable.

If you are interested in this position, please email Dr Georgia Nester (gnester@minderoo.org) with a brief cover letter and CV outlining your qualifications and experience.