Postdoc on foraging ecology and genetics in fish (Canada)

A two-year postdoctoral position is available to investigate the
foraging ecology and genetics of two cleaner fish species that forage
on parasitic lice attached to Atlantic salmon. The position would begin
between June-September 2019 and is funded for two years.

The project is led by Professor Elizabeth Boulding (Integrative Biology,
U. Guelph) with co-investigator Professor Emeritus Larry Schaeffer
(Animal BioSciences, U. Guelph). Our industrial collaborators are led
by Dr. K.P. Ang of Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. (KCS) a division of Cooke
Aquaculture Inc. (CAI). They include Dr. J.A.K. Elliott, Dr. M. Herlin,
F. Powell from KCS, and Dr. T. M. Jonassen from Akvaplan-Niva, Norway.

The objective of this NSERC Strategic Project is to provide a sustainable
and pedigreed source of cleaner fish to reduce lice densities found
on Atlantic salmon living in marine sea cages in Eastern Canada. This
project will develop highly-repeatable methods of measuring the functional
responses of two proven cleaner fishes: the lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus)
and the cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus). An outcome of this project
will be a breeding program for lice-eating performance by lumpfish and by
cunners at two existing hatcheries operated by CAI. It will also deepen
our understanding of the reciprocal evolution of early mutualisms between
facultative cleaner fishes and their clients.

The Postdoctoral fellow (with experience in fish applied evolution/applied
ethology/behavioural ecology) will help the undergraduate and graduate
students develop repeatable methods of measuring posing and other
co-operative behaviors by client fish that facilitate parasite-removal
by cleaner fishes. Their own project will involve assisting with salmon
lice challenges of pedigreed Atlantic salmon and measuring client-posing
rates near cleaner fish refuges inside the tanks. It will also involve
analysis of video-assisted field observations of client behavior near
cleaner-fish refuges within marine sea cages. The postdoc will be trained
to estimate breeding values for lice-cleaning performance by the cleaner
fish and for posing performance by their Atlantic salmon clients. Creating
a breeding nucleus containing only cleaner fish and client fish with high
breeding values for performance traits would be predicted to increase
the reciprocal co-evolution of this mutualism in marine sea cages.

Please apply for the postdoctoral position by sending an email to
Dr. Boulding (boulding@uoguelph.ca) with attachments containing: 1)
your curriculum vitae/resume, 2) an electronic transcript of all your
university grades, 3) a list of referees with their email addresses
and telephone numbers, 4) pdf reprints of your scientific publications
(if any), and 5) a statement that you are a) qualified and willing to
obtain a class G Ontario Driver┬ License to drive a motor vehicle
within Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and b)
that you are willing to travel to these sites for fieldwork for periods
up to one month. She will then request references from the referees of
qualified applicants.


Elizabeth Grace Boulding (Ph.D.)
Professor
Academic Adviser: Marine and Freshwater Biology /Biological Science
Associate Editor: Journal of Molluscan Studies

University of Guelph, Ontario Canada

Office: room 1464 New Science Complex
Department of Integrative Biology
50 Stone Road East
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 2W1
Canada
office phone: (519) 824-4120 x54961
lab phone: (519) 824-4120 x58156
fax: (519) 767-1656
Email: boulding@uoguelph.ca
webpage: http://www.uoguelph.ca/ib/people/faculty/boulding.shtml