PhD opportunity: Spatial ecology of coastal habitats using drone and satellite 
remote 
sensing (University of Virginia)

The Castorani Lab at the University of Virginia is recruiting one PhD student 
to study the 
spatial ecology and dynamics of coastal habitats using drone- and 
satellite-based 
remote sensing data, such as optical and multispectral imagery. The student 
will be 
advised by professor Max Castorani (https://castorani.evsc.virginia.edu/), and 
join UVA's 
highly interdisciplinary Department of Environmental Sciences 
(http://www.evsc.virginia.edu) and collaborative Virginia Coast Reserve 
Long-Term 
Ecological Research program (https://www.vcrlter.virginia.edu/). 

Field studies will focus on seagrass meadows, oyster reefs, salt marshes, and 
dune 
vegetation within the coastal lagoon–barrier island system of Virginia's 
Eastern Shore. 
Possibilities also exist for research on estuaries and kelp forests in 
California. The 
student will have opportunities to contribute to highly collaborative long-term 
studies in 
the Virginia Coast Reserve and Santa Barbara Coastal (http://sbc.lternet.edu/) 
LTER 
programs. Although research in the Castorani Lab is primarily motivated by 
fundamental 
ecological questions, there are opportunities for applied research related to 
coastal 
habitat restoration (seagrass, kelp, oysters) and commercial aquaculture 
(oysters, 
clams) with partners at The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service. 

At the time of enrollment, highly-qualified applicants will have an 
undergraduate or 
master's degree in biology, ecology, environmental science, geography, computer 
science, or a related field. Ideal candidates will have FAA Remote Pilot 
Certification 
("Part 107" license); experience flying small unmanned aircraft; strong 
quantitative skills; 
experience with the collection, processing, and analysis of remotely-sensed 
data; and 
knowledge of geospatial analyses using R, Matlab, Python, or ArcGIS. Ability to 
work 
well as part of a research team is a necessity.

UVA has a highly interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences 
(http://www.evsc.virginia.edu/academics/graduate/), offering training and 
conducting 
research in ecology, geosciences, hydrology, and atmospheric sciences. Graduate 
students accepted into the program are typically supported through a mixture of 
teaching assistantships and research assistantships that provide a competitive 
stipend, 
tuition, and health insurance.

Those interested should send the following items, as a single PDF, to Dr. Max 
Castorani 
(castor...@virginia.edu): (1) a brief description of their background, career 
goals, 
motivations for pursuing a graduate degree, research ideas, and why they are 
specifically interested in joining the Castorani Lab; (2) a CV with academic 
and 
professional experience (including GPA); (3) contact information for 2–3 
references; and 
(4) a writing sample.

The application deadline is January 15, 2019 for enrollment in Fall 2019, 
however serious 
applicants should express their interest as soon as possible.

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