North Gulf of America Geospatial Analysis Post-Doctoral Position
The Global Change Ecology Lab (Dr. Gregory Starr) and the Alabama Water Institute (Dr. Erin White) invite applications for a 16-month postdoctoral researcher position, with the potential for renewal, subject to funding. This project will focus on geospatial analysis to identify data and research monitoring gaps in the Northern Gulf of America, as a first step toward developing a Northern Gulf of America Coastal Observatory. The postdoctoral researcher will work with the team to determine where existing research infrastructure needs to be augmented with additional measurements and where new observation platforms are required to improve our environmental monitoring of the region.
The development of this project is associated with the 2018 consensus report by the Ocean Studies Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), “Understanding the Long-Term Evolution of the Coupled Natural-Human Coastal System: The Future of the U.S. Gulf Coast.” That study, undertaken at the request of the NASEM Gulf Research Program, identified major deficiencies in understanding long-term coastal dynamics—particularly in physical and ecological processes—that limit the ability to track, predict, and manage change along the Gulf Coast. Chief among these gaps are insufficient baseline datasets and monitoring systems for sea level rise, subsidence, sediment delivery, and storm-driven hazards, as well as limited knowledge of ecological responses to climate change, development, and restoration interventions.
Interested individuals should send a cover letter outlining their interest and background that makes them a viable candidate for the position, along with a CV and three references to Drs. Gregory Starr (gstarr@ua.edu) and Erin White (erin.white@ua.edu).