PhD candidates in marine ecology, reef health, drones, AI, and sea cucumber research Griffith University in Canada

Vincent Raoult, Senior Lecturer in Marine Ecology at Griffith University, is calling for prospective PhD candidates to join research on marine ecology, reef health, drones, remote sensing, and AI-based data processing.

One PhD project will contribute to an ARC Linkage project on sea cucumbers across the Great Barrier Reef, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia. This project involves fieldwork on research vessels in remote locations, searching for sea cucumbers using remote sensing technologies such as automated surface vessels and drones, and applying AI methods to analyse the resulting data. The project works closely with commercial fisheries.

A second PhD opportunity is more open-ended and would build on years of drone data on reef health to develop a candidate-led project. It would also use drones and automated vehicles to study reefs including Heron Island and Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Candidates are expected to collaborate across multiple institutions while being based at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, Australia. International candidates are welcome, but must be able to obtain an Australian study visa. To be competitive, applicants should have at least one peer-reviewed publication and a strong interest in technology, engineering, and reef science.

Interested candidates should contact Vincent Raoult directly via LinkedIn or his institutional email and send a CV explaining their fit for either project. International applicants should apply before 25 August, while domestic applicants have until 1 September.