New opportunities in marine science research
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Sunfish by Rob Harcourt |
Students travel from all around the world to undertake postgraduate research in marine science at Macquarie University, and there's no better time than right now to do it.
"It's a very good time to get into marine science in Australia - there are a lot of opportunities coming up right at this moment," says Director of Marine Science at Macquarie University, Associate Professor Rob Harcourt.
Harcourt says that while many other countries, such as the US, dedicate much more money to marine science research, Australia has other attractions to interest postgrads.
"We do have opportunities here that just don't exist overseas," he says. "Not only is there excellent access to unique marine environments, but we also have a much more autonomous graduate program whereby students take on much more responsibility but also have much more freedom."
Marine science - particularly in relation to Australia's endangered wildlife, marine parks and reef ecosystems - is also starting to gain much more attention from government funding bodies.
Ocean tracking
In November, for example, the Australian Government pledged $55.2 million towards an integrated marine observing system.
Wearing the hat of the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science (SHIMS), a consortium of Sydney-based marine scientists, Harcourt will lead one of the projects included in this funding - an Australian leg of the global Ocean Tracking Network. Using receivers dotted along the ocean floor, Australian scientists will pick up tiny transmitters attached to sea creatures in order to track their movements and also gather vital information on climate change effects such as rising ocean temperatures.
"The two target areas for the research will be on Ningaloo Reef off the west coast of Western Australia, which is one of the largest untouched reefs in the world, and at the Solitary Islands Marine Park near Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales," says Harcourt.
"At Ningaloo the focus will be on whale sharks, snapper, manta rays, tiger sharks, and other big sharks. There are possibilities for doctoral or postdoctoral work to occur up there starting probably about March 2008, so applications will be applicable around the middle of this year. It will be ideal for people who are coming from California or one of the other large west coast US universities, who already have a Masters degree and experience in researching one of these large predators, or perhaps a postdoc who has done tracking work before."
At the Solitary Islands location, the tracking will focus on creatures like the endangered grey nurse shark, black cod and cephalopods such as giant cuttlefish.
"We'll be putting receiving stations at estuary mouths all the way around New South Wales and Victoria so there are a lot of opportunities for people interested in researching long range movements - particularly if they can combine real-time management of animals with a look at their population genetic structure," says Harcourt.
Apart from animal tracking and population genetics, other specific areas of marine science strength at Macquarie include ecotourism impacts on marine animals such as dolphins, marine pollutants and their impact on invertebrates, and the development of aquaculture industries.
For profiles of some of Macquarie University's past and present marine science postgrads, visit www.gse.mq.edu.au/research/mmrg/students.htm For more information about upcoming postgrad opportunities, contact Associate Professor Rob Harcourt robert.harcourt@mq.edu.au