The Marine Landscape Ecology Lab provides multiple training opportunities for students and postdoctoral scientists.
Undergraduate Opportunities
Through funding provided by the Oceankind Foundation, the Marine Landscape Ecology Lab supports the paid participation of one undergraduate intern each summer. The intern will support projects focused on the mapping of sea lion communities in California, and rocky intertidal communities in British Columbia, California, and Washington. A $6,000 stipend is provided as part of the student’s participation.
Requirements
- Be a University of Washington undergraduate student enrolled in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) degree program. Examples of eligible degree programs include, but are not limited to, Aquatic and Fishery Science, Biology, Computer Science, Marine Biology, and Oceanography.
- Have course and/or work-related experience with R, GIS, and data management.
- Have a valid passport and be eligible for entry into Canada.
- Have the capacity to attain an FAA part 107 commercial drone pilot license prior to summer 2025.
- Have availability from June-August 2025.
Applications should include a no more than 2-page statement of interest, 2-page CV and unofficial copies of transcripts. Applications and questions can be sent to marlel@uw.edu The application period for 2025 is now closed.
Graduate Student Opportunities
The Marine Landscape Ecology Lab does provide opportunities for students to conduct graduate research with our group. We conduct field work using drones, primarily along the U.S. West Coast, coupled with GIS and statistical modeling to understand the spatial dynamics that underly the distribution and structure of coastal ecosystems. Though our work contributes to the basic understanding of the ecology of coastal ecosystems, it also has applications in the management and conservation of coastal systems. In general, we are more interested in studying interesting research topics where spatial dynamics play a central role as opposed to a particular organism or system. For students interested in conducting research with our group, we suggest they have some quantitative coursework (e.g., statistics), experience working with computers and programming, coursework in ecology and some research experience.
Some projects in the lab currently have funding to support graduate students, while others don’t. Contact us at marlel@uw.edu to inquire about currently available graduate student positions.
Postdoctoral Opportunities
The Marine Landscape Ecology Lab supports the participation of postdoctoral researchers. In addition to internal funding, we also support the participation of postdoctoral researchers through external funding sources such as the Washington Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship and the NSF postdoctoral program. Contact us at marlel@uw.edu for inquiries.