Freshwater Pearl Mussel Ireland

The Pearl Mussel Project in partnership with Institute of Technology, Sligo are inviting interested Msc/PhD applicants to apply for a position to investigating terrestrial ecosystem services of freshwater pearl mussel catchments, with regard to the novel European Innovation Partnership approach for incentivising farm management benefiting the endangered freshwater pearl mussel in Ireland. The MSc/PhD will be centered on the farmland enrolled in the Freshwater Pearl Mussel project, primarily in the Glaskeelan catchment, Co. Donegal and the Bundorragha, Dawros and Owenriff catchments, Co. Mayo.

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Details:

Project Title:  Investigating terrestrial ecosystem services of freshwater pearl mussel catchments, with regard to the novel European Innovation Partnership approach for incentivising farm management benefiting the endangered freshwater pearl mussel

Description

Applications are invited for an MSc/PhD position at Institute of Technology, Sligo. The MSc/PhD is in partnership with the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Project (www.pearlmusselproject.ie). The Freshwater Pearl Mussel Project is a European Innovation Partnership for Agriculture Productivity and Sustainability (EIP AGRI) which aims to ensure long term coexistence of farming and freshwater pearl mussel in eight priority catchment areas in the west of Ireland. The project works as a practical partnership with a results-based approach to farming aimed at delivering biodiversity, ecosystem services and community engagement. The MSc/PhD will be centered on the farmland enrolled in the Freshwater Pearl Mussel project, primarily in the Glaskeelan catchment, Co. Donegal and the Bundorragha, Dawros and Owenriff catchments, Co. Mayo. The marginal farmland is of high nature value, capable of supporting low intensity agricultural production and in addition, high levels of biodiversity. The balance between the ecosystem service provision is finely nuanced, and alterations towards intensification, extensification or in some cases, abandonment, can potentially impact on quality of provision. This proposed study will build upon existing knowledge of catchment level approaches for the conservation of freshwater pearl mussel and will develop new and practical measures for assessing land use optimisation in respect of conservation outcomes. The proposed objectives of the PhD are:

·       Quantify and map the ecosystem service provision from farmed catchment areas which support the top Freshwater Pearl Mussel populations through a map-based assessment using direct and proxy data from available national datasets and the Pearl Mussel Project.

·       Assess and evaluate, using both desk-based and field based surveys, catchment level spatial overlap, synergies and trade-offs in ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation.

·       Results-based agri-environment measures testing and refinement of scorecards for multiple ecosystem service provision.

Requirements/Qualifications

·       Must hold an Honours Degree (minimum 2:2, but 2:1 or higher is desirable) in environmental science, ecology, agricultural science or related discipline.

·       Full clean driver’s license.

·       Plant identification and vegetation analysis.

·       GIS experience and working knowledge of statistics.

·       Willingness to undertake field work in remote locations.

·       Knowledge and keen interest in the ecological management of farmland habitats and associated species.

·       Ability to work as part of a team.

·       Good interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.

If either English or Irish is not the applicant’s first language, a certificate of language ability in either language is required. IELTS level 6.0 or equivalent is mandatory for those presenting with English as a foreign language.

For further information, please email Dr. Dolores Byrne at byrne.dolores@itsligo.ie

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