| Project title: |
Isotope data science
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| Hypothesis or objectives: |
Understanding trophic relationships improves our ability to recognize shifts in ecosystem health as well as identify targets for restoration and conservation efforts. Stable isotope analyses of carbon and nitrogen are a proven powerful tool to examine trophic relationships because the stable isotope ratios in consumer tissues reflect those in their diet in a predictable manner.
In the Environmental Chemistry Program (https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/research/divisions/efs/envchem/index.cfm) at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) we have a stable isotope carbon and nitrogen dataset containing over 30,000 tissue samples from invertebrate and vertebrate species collected for various interdisciplinary projects throughout the Pacific Northwest region since the 1990’s. We seek an individual interested in data science to explore this carbon and nitrogen database for the purpose of identifying such things as species-specific isotopic signatures, trophic relationships within an ecosystem, and shifts in these relationships through space or time.
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| Duration: |
3 - 12 months
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| Area(s) of discipline: |
Computer And Information Sciences, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Ecology, Fisheries Science, Living Marine Resources, Marine And Aquatic Sciences, Natural Resource Management
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| Internship location: |
Seattle, WA
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| Duties and responsibilities: |
1. Collate supplemental data by contacting project PI’s and through literature searches.
2. Use R software to compile and analyze data.
3. Write and submit a manuscript(s) for peer-reviewed publication based on these analyses.
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| Special skills/training required: |
1. Ability to work independently.
2. Excellent communication skills.
3. Familiarity with excel and R.
4. Can think and write clearly.
5. Responsive to emails and phone calls.
6. Ability to review and understand scientific literature.
7. Familiarity with statistics.
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| Expected outcomes: |
1. Exposure to data management and statistical analyses in an applied environmental field.
2. Understanding of marine and freshwater research and ecosystem science.
3. Introduction to data interpretation and scientific writing.
4. Coauthorship on one or more peer-reviewed scientific publications.
5. Exposure to a multidisciplinary research effort.
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| Point of contact (Mentor): |
Paul, Chittaro
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| Organization: |
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
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| Program office: |
NWFSC
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| Mailing address: |
2725 Montlake Blvd. E.
Seattle, WA 98112
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| Phone number: |
206-861-7617
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| Fax number: |
None
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| Email: |
paul.chittaro@noaa.gov
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| Co-Mentor name: |
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| Co-Mentor email: |
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| Co-Mentor gency or organization: |
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