Postdoctoral Fellow for Dr. Sam Purkis Job

Prof. Sam Purkis is seeking a full-time postdoctoral fellow for at least one year, to be based at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), situated within the University of Miami.The position is available immediately.

Background: Spatial self-organization, the process where coherent spatial patterns emerge through internal interactions, is widely observed in natural systems. Remote sensing has risen to the fore as a means of studying this phenomenon. Compelling examples of self-organization range from ripple and dune formation in aquatic and terrestrial systems to formation of patterned vegetation in arid regions. With their delicate ecological interdependencies and their susceptibility to environmental change, coral reefs are well poised to display self-organized processes at scales which lend themselves to remote sensing.

The Dataset: Through a long collaboration with the Living Oceans Foundation and other sponsors, the Purkis Lab has generated an unrivaled dataset spanning more than 1,000 reefs spread across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Beyond global scope, these data are immensely broad, encompassing 95,000 sq. km of state-of-the-art aircraft and satellite imagery processed to seabed and bathymetric maps, surveys of faunal and genetic diversity, an exhaustive suite of water chemistry and sediment samples, geophysical surveys and assessments of ocean climate - perhaps the most comprehensive example of "big data" yet compiled for coral reefs.

The Project: Levering Earth observation data, the successful applicant will develop an understanding of the signatures of spatial self-organization in coral reef systems, prior to developing numerical simulations to examine the disequilibrium processes responsible for emergent patterning. The work can be associated with the Marine Biodiversity and Scaling Project (MarineVERSE), a NASA-funded global 3-year investigation to understand shallow-marine ecosystem biodiversity at multiple scales, thereby allowing interaction with the University of Miami Aircraft Center for Earth Studies (ACES) at RSMAS, led by Dr. Ved Chirayath.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to independently develop code for computer simulations, to perform quantitative analysis, write peer-reviewed publications, reports, and assist in the ideation of proposals.

I seek a highly numeric candidate and favorably view a background in eco-geomorphology, computer science, GIS, remote sensing, and forward modeling. Key factors in my hiring decision will be creativity, motivation, and productivity.

Applying: Information about this position, including the application procedure, is located behind this link.

For further information, contact Prof. Sam Purkis ().

Chair - Department of Marine Geosciences

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), University of Miami

Education:

Ph.D. in relevant field