Quantitative Wildlife Ecologist

EL 1 - $124,861 - $134,295
- Australian Antarctic
- Hobart, TAS
- Lead and support processing, analysis, and interpretation of data from long-term seabird research and monitoring projects to support sustainable krill fisheries in east Antarctica.
- Inform and contribute to the delivery of complex, multinational, multidisciplinary research initiatives.

**Who we are**

The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is part of the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. As primary agency for Australia's Antarctic Program (AAP), the AAD is responsible for achieving the Australian Government's Antarctic goals.
These goals are to:

- Maintain the Antarctic Treaty System and enhance Australia's influence within it.
- Protect the Antarctic environment.
- Understand the role of Antarctica in the global climate system.
- Undertake scientific work of practical, economic and national significance.

The AAD also has responsibility for administering the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands.

The AAD Science Branch leads, conducts and supports a world class program of scientific research and environmental management, consistent with national priorities through the Australian Antarctic Science Strategic Plan. The Branch provides research and advice to support Australia’s Antarctic policy objectives, including participation in the Antarctic Treaty system and other international committees, commissions and intergovernmental panels. It manages and administers the Australian Antarctic Science Program and provides scientific and research advice to support regulatory and management decisions. The responsibilities of the Science Branch are diverse as we lead the Australian Government’s scientific program in Antarctica. Our research addresses critical issues including climate change, ensuring sustainable and well managed Southern Ocean fisheries, the human footprint in Antarctica, and the conservation of Antarctic and Southern Ocean wildlife. Our program covers physical and life sciences in the atmosphere, terrestrial and marine domains. The Branch provides scientific advice, conducts impact assessments, and undertakes targeted outreach promoting the value of Australian Antarctic science.

The Southern Ocean Ecosystems Program (SOEP) is responsible for delivering science stemming from sustained monitoring and targeted research of key biological components of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. SOEP research ensures sustainable and well managed Southern Ocean fisheries to support protection, conservation and management of Antarctic wildlife with an understanding that krill are the foundation of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Within this Program, the objective of the Seabird Conservation Team is to provide seabird research and monitoring to facilitate decisions to achieve ecosystem-based management approaches for fisheries, for understanding and minimising impacts from human activities across the Australian Antarctic program, and to understand the impacts of climate change on these important and iconic species. This work delivers on a range of interdisciplinary and policy-relevant projects, with research outputs informing international fora including the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), and monitoring of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs). The work directly supports the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan (2022 Update), and the Australian Antarctic Science Decadal Strategy 2025-2035, contributing to international commitments and strategic research collaborations with other national and international programs.

**The Job**
- Lead and support processing, analysis, and interpretation of data from long-term seabird research and monitoring projects to support sustainable krill fisheries in east Antarctica - topics could include characterising krill-dependent species foraging behaviour, habitat requirements and spatial extent of key foraging areas, linking foraging locations with krill and prey density distributions to understand predator-prey interactions.
- Inform and contribute to the delivery of complex, multinational, multidisciplinary research initiatives, with an immediate urgency to model and predict the spread of H5 avian influenza (HPAI) given the current global outbreak to identify pathways of infection and how this could influence Australia’s biosecurity measures.
- Verbal and written communication of key scientific outcomes to stakeholders throughout the AAD, in peer-reviewed scientific publications, as well as reports for state or Commonwealth agencies or international fora such as CCAMLR or at conferences.
- Provide expert advice relating to wildlife management and conservation or on submissions to international fora to key stakeholders in the AAD including the Antarctic and Environmental Regulation (AER) s