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Postdoctoral Fellowships in Ocean Observation, Analysis and Prediction Applications

The University of British Columbia
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Applications are invited for a two-year postdoctoral fellowships (PDF) using advanced ocean observing technology, numerical modelling and data science to study oceanographic and/or geophysical processes.

Background
The Pacific Rim Ocean Data Mobilization and Technology (PRODIGY) training program bridges the fields of oceanography, geophysics, computer science and statistics to support state-of-the-art ocean observation, prediction and knowledge mobilization. We seek dynamic individuals to contribute to this program through inter-disciplinary research, teaching, mentoring and stakeholder engagement. Applicants with a range of backgrounds and interests in ocean observation, modelling and/or data science are encouraged to apply.

Successful applicants will be expected to conduct primary research in one or more areas of ocean data acquisition, analysis and modelling, working under the co-supervision of at least two faculty researchers. Research topics of interest include, but are not limited to: ocean mixing, biogeochemical cycles, geophysical processes along oceanic plate boundaries, coastal dynamics, use of autonomous ocean sensors, and the development of numerical models and statistical methods for ocean data analysis and forecasting. For this call, we seek candidates for two distinct projects, as outlined at the end of this document under PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS.

Candidates will also be expected to help coordinate in-class teaching and annual summer schools, and to engage with non-academic partners in government, industry and the NGO sector. Research and teaching activities will support a bi-lateral collaboration between Canada and Chile, through the Millennium Institute of Oceanography and other partners.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We particularly encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Program Goals
PRODIGY aims to foster research and training across four key facets of the ocean data life cycle:
  1. development, deployment and validation of new ocean sensors
  2. data science, interactive visualization and visual analytics
  3. cross-platform data integration and assimilation into models and prediction systems
  4. knowledge transfer of data-rich research to key stakeholders

Program Team
The PRODIGY program brings together a dynamic, interdisciplinary group of Canadian, American and Chilean scientists spanning oceanography, geophysics, engineering, computer science and statistics. Program leaders are based at the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria and the University of Waterloo, with academic collaborators at the Millennium Institute of Oceanography (Concepción, Chile), the University of Washington, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Additional non-academic collaborators come from government, industry and NGO sectors. Our team has access to state-of-the-art research equipment and infrastructure, including the Canadian Pacific Robotic Ocean Observing Facility (C-PROOF), the Marine Environmental Research Infrastructure for Data Integration and Application Network (MERIDIAN), and the National Facility for Seismic Imaging (NFSI). These scientific resources, combined with the broad interdisciplinary knowledge base of our team, will create an immersive, cross-cultural training environment. Prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to contact one or more of the Project Leaders (see below) prior to submitting a formal application.

Position Responsibilities:
  1. Deploy advanced ocean observing technology and/or develop advanced data analysis, visualization and modelling tools to study critical oceanographic and/or marine geophysical processes.
  2. Publish primary research in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and present results at international conferences.
  3. Participate in teaching and mentoring activities with graduate and undergraduate students.
  4. Help facilitate professional development activities, including seminars and workshops.
  5. Interact with non-academic partners in government, industry and/or the NGO sector to facilitate the use of ocean observing technology and data products to address societally-relevant challenges

Requirements:
  • An interest in applying data-driven observational and/or modelling approaches to important ocean-related research
  • A PhD in ocean sciences, marine geophysics, data science, statistics, computer science or a related field by the time of appointment
  • Experience working with observational datasets and/or advanced data analysis methods and numerical models
  • Willingness to work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary group of scientists with expertise in ocean sciences, geophysics, statistics and computer science
  • Capacity to lead projects with collaborators and ability to complete projects in a timely manner
  • Excellent communication skills

Benefits
Fellows will gain unique interdisciplinary knowledge and skills in emerging ocean observing technology and data science, bridging fundamental and applied research from ocean technology and sustainable resource exploration, to seismic hazards and climate forecasting. Program participants will also have opportunities for professional development, including training in scientific communication, project management and stakeholder engagement. Partnership with the Millennium Institute of Oceanography will provide cross-cultural training experience, and access to ocean study sites across the eastern Pacific Rim.

Additional Details
The position will be officially based at the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria or the University of Waterloo, with opportunities to travel between these locations for collaborative work. Opportunities also exist for research exchanges with our partners in the United States and Chile, including participation at bi-annual field schools at the San Ignacio de Huinay field station. This is a limited term, two-year PDF position paid at a rate of $60,000 CAD per year plus mandatory employment-related benefits. Additional research funds will be provided by the Project Leaders.

Application Procedures
To apply please submit the following by email to prodigy@eoas.ubc.ca: 1) a cover letter, outlining special areas of research interest, relevant teaching and research experience and fit with one of the two specific projects described below; 2) a current CV; 3) the names of at least two references; and 4) sample research publications. Review of applications will begin immediately, and the position will remain open until filled, with a preferred start date of Sept. 1, 2023 or earlier.

PRODIGY Team Members:

University of British Columbia, Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences

University of British Columbia, Department of Computer Science

University of British Columbia, Department of Statistics

University of Victoria, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
Dr. Roberta Hamme: https://web.uvic.ca/~rhamme/

University of Victoria, Department of Computer Science
Dr. Charles Perin: http://charlesperin.net/

University of Waterloo, Department of Systems Design Engineering

PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS FOR 2023 - 2025

Project #1: Glider-Centred Process Studies of Continental Shelf Dynamics
Background: We seek a Postdoctoral Fellow to conduct glider-centred process studies of continental shelf dynamics off the coast of British Columbia Canada, in partnership with Canadian-Pacific Robotic Ocean Observing Facility (C-PROOF) and the Hakai Institute. Since 2019, C-PROOF has operated a fleet of gliders, floats and moorings in the Northeast Pacific to provide long-term monitoring of the ocean at scales necessary to resolve upper ocean physical and biological processes. In collaboration with the Hakai Insttitute, we have maintained sustained glider sampling in all seasons spanning coast to open ocean in Queen Charlotte Sound, a highly productive shelf sea that is a vital commercial and subsistence fishing ground, and hosts many of western Canada’s Marine Protected Areas. The dataset describes a highly dynamic and variable system, which is influenced by seasonally-varying wind-driven upwelling and downwelling, freshwater forcing, vigorous mixing and lateral exchange processes. Targeted studies are now needed to better understand these dynamic processes and their implications for the region’s ecosystems.

Position Goals: The fellow will contribute to the C-PROOF, Hakai Institute and PRODIGY research missions by designing, executing and analyzing glider-centred studies targeting dynamical processes and their ecological consequences in Queen Charlotte Sound. The foci of the process studies can be tailored to the candidate’s interests and expertise in collaboration with the Project Leaders. There is also an exciting opportunity to employ glider-mounted turbulent microstructure instrumentation and engage with C-PROOF and PRODIGY partner Rockland Scientific.

Position Responsibilities
The PDF will be responsible for the following tasks within the context of the overall project as described above.

  1. to work with the Canadian-Pacific Robotic Ocean Observing Facility (C-PROOF) team on processing, analyzing and interpreting existing observational data;
  2. to participate in the continued collection of in situ observational data in the region;
  3. to design and lead glider-centred studies targeting dynamical process(es) of interest;
  4. to publish research in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and present results at national and international conferences;
  5. to participate in teaching and mentoring activities with graduate and undergraduate students and engage with non-academic partners in government, industry and/or the NGO sector, as part of the PRODIGY program.

Project Leaders
The PDF will be supervised by Dr. Jody Klymak (University of Victoria) and Dr. Stephanie Waterman (University of British Columbia), and will work closely with Dr. Tetjana Ross (Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada), Dr. Wiley Evans (Hakai Institute) and Dr. Charles Hannah (Institute of Ocean Sciences). The fellow will also join the Canadian-Pacific Robotic Ocean Observing Facility (C-PROOF) team.

Additional Details
The position will be officially based at either the University of Victoria or the University of British Columbia, with opportunities to travel between these locations, the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney BC, and the Calvert Island Ecological Observatory of the Hakai Institute for collaborative work.

Project #2: Combining numerical models and machine learning to study the evolution of the Salish Sea Spatial domain of the SalishSeaCast model.
Background: The Salish Sea is a beautiful, ecologically and economically-important semi-enclosed coastal sea on the West Coast of Canada and United States. This biologically-productive region hosts the largest sockeye salmon run in the world, and the large cites of Seattle and Vancouver with their large commercial shipping ports. SalishSeaCast is a near digital-twin ocean model of the Salish Sea, British Columbia. Our group has a 16-year hindcast (2007-2023) of hourly output with about 3.5 million spatial grid points of 8 physical fields, 7 biological fields and 6 chemical fields. The model is forced by the atmosphere and river inputs, through the open boundaries that connect the Salish Sea to the ocean. The model has been evaluated against observational data, and shows a predictive skill that puts it among the top-performing coastal models.

Position goals: This position seeks to use SalishSeaCast to predict how the physics, chemistry and ecology of the Salish Sea will change in the future. The primary unknown relates to uncertainty in the future evolution of key forcing functions (e.g. meteorological conditions, river input, etc.). It is currently not feasible to accurately project the trajectory of all potential forcing functions, and it is thus important to identify those key drivers that have the largest impact on ecosystem metrics, including inter-annual timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom, the availability of zooplankton for fish, and the spatial and temporal variability of hypoxia. To identify potential dominant drivers of key ecosystem processes, the PDF will use supervised learning (e.g., classification with feature selection strategies), unsupervised learning (e.g., clustering and dimensionality reduction), and/or deep learning methods to analyze high-dimensional spatio-temporal model output. Results from this work will be used to identify dominant drivers for further study and improved future projections.
Position Responsibilities: The PDF will be responsible for the following tasks within the context of the overall project as described above.

  1. to work with their supervisors to determine appropriate methods (supervised learning, unsupervised learning or deep learning) to identify dominant drivers of one of more key ecosystem processes;
  2. to develop the appropriate method(s) and analyze SalishSeaCast results;
  3. to collaborate with the supervisor’s groups to determine the efficacy of the methods and the implications for the future evolution of the Salish Sea;
  4. to publish research in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and present results at national and international conferences;
  5. to participate in teaching and mentoring activities with graduate and undergraduate students and engage with non-academic partners in government, industry and/or the NGO sector, as part of the PRODIGY program.

Project Leaders
The PDF will be co-supervised by Dr. Susan Allen (UBC, Dept. of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Dr. Raymond Ng (UBC Dept. of Computer Science) and Dr. Matias Salibian-Barrera (UBC. Dept. of Statistics). The PDF will also collaborate with government scientists at Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Additional Details: The position will be officially based at the University of British Columbia

This posting is for the UBC Vancouver campus in British Columbia, Canada.

Please refer to reference number HS-57100 during correspondence about this position.

Please visit the researcher profiles of the supervisors (1, 2) for this position to learn more about their research.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

About UBC's Faculty of Science
UBC Science brings together a community of scholars internationally recognized for its commitment to discovery and innovation—in the lab and in the classroom. Our faculty conduct top-tier research in the life, physical, earth and computational sciences, driving insights into sustainability, biodiversity, human health, nanoscience, new materials, probability, artificial intelligence, exoplanets and more. Ranked among the world's top 40 universities, UBC's research prowess in environmental science, math, physics, plant and animal science, computer science, geology, oceanography and biology is consistently rated best in Canada by international and national rankings.