PhD (M/F) in marine megafauna connectivity using acoustic telemetry

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Many marine species, particularly highly mobile meso- and top predators, travel vast distances that cross national boundaries and static management areas such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This ecological connectivity—driven by adult movements and larval dispersal—shapes population dynamics, resilience, and responses to fish exploitation. When management fails to reflect these spatial linkages, conservation and fisheries outcomes can be compromised. Although area based management tools (ABMTs) can enhance sustainability, most MPAs are not designed to maintain connectivity, and many critical habitats for mobile species remain unprotected.
The Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO) is a biodiversity hotspot under growing human pressure that requires improved transboundary conservation planning. Acoustic telemetry, now widely used to track aquatic animals across large spatial scales, provides a powerful tool to measure connectivity, though multi-species, multi-scale analyses remain rare.
This project integrates movement data from exploited and threatened species including sharks, trevallies, wahoo, and marine turtles—across the SWIO. Using existing data (>300 tagged individuals; >2 million detections) and data from 250 additional animals, it will: (1) quantify connectivity across Mozambique–South Africa MPAs; (2) model future species distributions under climate and fishing scenarios to design resilient MPAs; and (3) upscale analyses regionally, incorporating the Comoros and Europa sites. By linking fine-scale large scale movement ecology to regional governance, the project aims to optimize crossborder spatial management and strengthen marine conservation in the SWIO.

Your Work Environment

Based in Sète and co-supervised by Taryn Murray at Rhodes University (South Africa), the candidate will be based at the UMR MARine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC) and will have access to all the facilities provided by MARBEC's various technical platforms. His/her work will be directly integrated into and conducted in close collaboration with the PEPR BRIDGES project, in which the candidate will, among other things, participate in the project's activities and training sessions. In addition to their immediate research environment, he/she will work closely with researchers specializing in tropical marine megafauna and proficient in acoustic telemetry and spatial biostatistics in the countries of the southwestern Indian Ocean. Finally, the candidate will be required to contribute to field missions involving the tagging of target species in the Western Indian Ocean (e.g., South Africa, Mozambique) and to undertake a mission at Rhodes University.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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