PhD in Multi-Modal Monitoring of Groundwater-Dependent Birds: eDNA and Acoustic AI Integration Charles Darwin University in Hungary

PhD opportunity at Charles Darwin University in Multi-Modal Monitoring of Groundwater-Dependent Birds: eDNA and Acoustic AI Integration.

This project sits at the intersection of ecology, environmental science, biology, computer science, and statistics. The research will develop an interdisciplinary framework to monitor groundwater-dependent birds by combining water-derived eDNA metabarcoding, autonomous acoustic monitoring, and AI-based species classification. A key aim is to compare detection probabilities, biases, and cost-effectiveness across methods to determine when each tool performs best and how they can be integrated for improved avian monitoring.

The opportunity is associated with Professor Maxine Piggott, Professor and Program Leader in the Research Institute for Northern Agriculture at Charles Darwin University. The post highlights interest in applicants with backgrounds in ecology, molecular biology, genetics, environmental science, or IT. Strong analytical skills, familiarity with molecular techniques and bioinformatics, and enthusiasm for fieldwork in remote environments are emphasized. Experience or interest in combining ecology and AI for applied environmental management would be especially valuable.

No deadline or funding details were stated in the post. Interested candidates should contact the professor through the provided link and review the project page for further information.