Ocean Career: Marine Institute Marine Beacon PDR

Ocean Career: Marine Institute Marine Beacon PDR 20 August 2026 The Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for marine research, technology, development and innovation (RTDI). The Marine Institute seeks to assess and realise the economic potential of Ireland’s 220-million-acre marine resource; promote the sustainable development of marine industry through strategic funding programmes and scientific services; and safeguard the marine environment through research and environmental monitoring. The Institute works in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) and a network of other Government Departments, semi-state agencies, national and international marine partners. The Post-Doctoral Researcher (PDR) will work closely with the Marine Beacon project co-ordinator in the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management Team as well as with colleagues in the wider Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Services team to deliver research for the Marine Beacon project. The Marine Beacon project aims to improve knowledge and understanding and produce the tools and technology to reduce the discarding of protected, endangered and threatened species (PETS), in European waters. The PDR will work specifically on tasks related to; identifying and overcoming bycatch related knowledge gaps for fish, marine mammals and sea birds, and evaluating the risk of fisheries bycatch and determining the vulnerability of PETS in European waters. A focus of the work will be on Irish waters, although there will be opportunities for collaboration with European partners to improve understanding of bycatch risk across large geographic areas. There will also be opportunities to work with wider fisheries stakeholders. The Marine Institute recently completed reviews of its organisation and strategic achievement. The outcomes of these reviews are expected to affect the roles and duties of employees and to bring about other organisational changes. Any impacts or changes will be communicated. The main tasks will be linked to the overall project work, and the research in Irish waters in particular. This will include: Collate species occurrence and abundance data from multiple data sources including national monitoring programmes and fisheries independent surveys Work closely with international project partners to compare species distribution models, synthesise findings, and help shape the application of innovative analytical approaches. Determine vulnerability of PETS in Irish waters, including for seabirds, based on existing risk assessment outputs Contribute to a dynamic, multidisciplinary research team, collaborating across multiple projects to deliver impactful outcomes for marine science and conservation. Support project leadership and coordination, helping to organise stakeholder meetings, workshops, and collaborative initiatives that drive project success. Present the work at local, national and international meetings, including project meetings. Publish regular articles in peer reviewed journals. Contribute to the core objectives of the project while having scope to develop and lead additional research activities, collaborations, and scientific outputs in line with your interests and expertise. Carry out any other duties assigned from time to time, appropriate to the position. Essential Qualifications: A relevant PhD in fisheries science, marine or environmental science, zoology, quantitative ecology or a related field. An understanding of issues related to bycatch in European fisheries. Knowledge of Protected, Endangered and Threatened Species (PETS) Demonstrated experience of collating, managing, and analysing large ecological or biodiversity datasets. Experience with the use of statistical software and programming languages such as: R and GIS software (ArcGIS or QGIS) High level statistical analysis skills (ideally implemented in R). Evidence of scientific writing skills, including peer reviewed publications, reports or technical documents. Strong written and verbal presentation skills. Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary and international team. Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work with and effectively communicate with scientists, the fishing industry and other relevant stakeholders. High level of experience in the use of Microsoft Office applications. Effective organisation and administration skills. Good time management and the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines. The ability to work unsupervised and as part of a team. Desirable Qualifications: Strong data handling and data manipulation skills (e.g. experience of SQL server, Access, or other relational databases). Experience of conducting species distribution modelling Experience with risk assessment methodologies Expertise in seabird ecology Understanding of the issues surrounding Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management. Familiarity with commercial and research vessel fisheries surveys and sampling programmes A good knowledge of the Irish fishing industry. Experience of data management. Sea going experience or sufficiently fit to pass an ENG II Medical. #J-18808-Ljbffr ECO Magazine