amazon_homes

M.S. Assistantship Announcement

This position has been filled.

Agency:  Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

mouth of amazon
Amazon floodplain

Responsibilities:  An exceptionally qualified and motivated candidate is sought to investigate human and environmental factors influencing spatial distribution patterns of Arapaima spp. populations in floodplain ecosystems of the Amazon Basin.  The selected candidate will: (i) design a data collection and analysis plan; (ii) collaborate with a project based in the city of Santarém, State of Pará, Brazil, to collect field data; and (iii) prepare scientific reports for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Qualifications:  Applicants must have: (i) a B.S. in ecology, fisheries, or related field; (ii) strong record of involvement in research; and (iii) capacity to work in challenging conditions of environment and logistics.  Capacity to learn to communicate in Portuguese and experience in the publication process are highly desired.

Salary:  The selected candidate will have full tuition, stipend (1-yr teaching assistantship; 1-yr research assistantship), subsidized health insurance, and fieldwork costs covered.  Wage work also available.

Ad Closing Date: Anticipated start is January 2014, and early start will be considered.  Applications will be considered in the order they are received.

Contact/Email:  E-mail Dr. Leandro Castello (leandro@vt.edu) a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, (unofficial) transcripts, GPA and GRE scores, and contact information for three references.  The letter of interest should be no longer than 1.5 pages and it must address: your research interests, interests in position, and qualifications for successful project completion.  Selected applicants will need to apply to the Virginia Tech Graduate School before final acceptance (http://fishwild.vt.edu/pros_graduate.htm).

Weblink: More information http://fishwild.vt.edu/faculty/castello.htm

Video: Arapaima Management on the Lower Amazon

Dr. Leandro Castello discusses the rules of sustainable management of Arapaima in this 15-minute video.

  1. Fish must be larger than 1.5 meters
  2. No fishing during the reproductive cycle
  3. Establish a counting system to monitor the population, then establish a catch share