Friday Email

Happy Friday Everyone,

Next week the MASTS team will be travelling down to Bristol for the Sustainable Management of UK Marine Resources 2024 conference. The conference brings together scientists, policy makers, and stakeholders across a variety of disciplines to address critical marine research gaps and will focus on the delivery of tools and interventions to inform policy, regulation, and management (find out what is happening in this LinkedIn article). Online and in-person tickets are still available on our events page where you can also find the full programme. Check out our Twitter and LinkedIn for daily round up and highlights using #SMMRUK24.

Congratulations to the recipients of the MASTS Forums bursaries. Recently, both the Marine Planning & Governance and Marine Stressors forums were offering bursaries to PGRs & ECRs to contribute towards attending conferences and training. The Marine Planning & Governance Forum have awarded bursaries to Julia S. and Anton K. to attend the Seas Scotland conference taking place in Stirling in early June. The Aquatic Stressors Forum have awarded the travel bursaries to Jude Wilson, Connor Wood Connor Wood, Kristina Beck and Devonne Gardiner . Join us in congratulating them on Twitter and LinkedIn.

MASTS Annual Science Meeting 2024

We are pleased to confirm our first special session for the 2024 MASTS ASM! Pitcairn’s MPA is the 3rd largest in the world, is a platinum level Blue Park Award winner, and its purity as a fully intact marine ecosystem provides an important scientific reference point in measuring the impact of climate change. The session will cover the ambition of the new Marine Science Base on Pitcairn, scientific evidence on the health of marine biodiversity through recent science expeditions and the efforts of the Pitcairn Islands Government in protecting such a large MPA, with the support of the Blue Belt Programme.

Got an idea for a special session or workshop? Contact [email protected].

MASTS Research

MASTS Aquatic Stressor Forum invitation to members to present at their summer meetings:

The forum provides an integrated platform to promote research, monitoring, training, and enhanced understanding of the effects of environmental (single or multiple) stressors, both natural and anthropogenic, on aquatic organisms and communities. The Forum is a centre for dialogue and networking and offers expertise, collaboration, and advice. As such, we would like to invite members of the MASTS community interested in the topic to join Aquatic Stressor Forum (ASF) Meetings over the summer, to hear & give short (~10 min) presentations, falling under one of the following three themes:

Aquatic stressor responses of individuals; Aquatic stressor responses of populations/communities; Evolutionary aquatic stressor responses.

The next meeting is planned for Thursday 6th June. If you would like to present/discuss your own work (~10 min plus 5 min discussion) then please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.

FYI

• Request for help: The CAOLAS project is a small Marine Community Association operating from the Morvern peninsula in the Highlands. For use in their outreach and Native Oyster restoration projects, they are hoping for donations of the following items - a binocular dissecting Microscope with Camera set up and a van Dorn water sampler. If you can help, please contact Fee Zanke on [email protected]
• INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: SUPER-NERC Research Experience Placement (REP), summer 2024. Project title: Insights into contemporary population connectivity of the Atlantic black-legged kittiwake: A snapshot at the ocean-basin scale (Project supervisor: Chloe Cargill) Requirements: Applicants must be undertaking their first Undergraduate degree or integrated Master’s degree (any field of study) AND be about to enter their final year (for 3-year UG degrees) or their third year (for integrated Master’s degrees) of studies AND must have student status at the time of the placement. Applicants must not be in full-time employment AND should be resident in the UK for the full duration of the placement. Applicants are responsible for confirming with regards to the terms and conditions of any relevant visa documentation that they are eligible to be employed in the UK prior to applying*. Applicants may work remotely on computer-based tasks; however, they must be able to attend the placement location for a minimum of 4 weeks of the placement period to conduct in-person laboratory work***. Location: School of Biological Sciences (SBS), University of Aberdeen; Duration of placement: 6 weeks; Expected time commitment and financial reimbursement: 37 hours per week, reimbursed monthly at a rate of ￡11.77 per hour (Grade 1)*; Anticipated start date of placement: Monday 24th June 2024**; Closing date: 31st May. For full details of the opportunity available and information on how to apply please email Chloe at [email protected] Part-time hours over a longer placement duration is allowable. *Some flexibility in start date is allowable.***Some funds may be available to help with travel and relocation expenses.
• Calling all undergraduate students! Don't miss this exciting internship opportunity for the summer of 2024! Join our Super-NERC Research Experience Placement (REP) project titled "Insights into contemporary population connectivity of the Atlantic black-legged kittiwake: A snapshot at the ocean-basin scale," supervised by Chloe Cargill. Requirements: Applicants must be in their final year of undergraduate studies and resident in the UK. Remote work is possible, but in-person laboratory work is required for a minimum of 4 weeks. Location: School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen. Duration: 6 weeks. Start date: June 24th, 2024. Apply by May 31st. For more information here and to apply, email Chloe at [email protected].

• Calling all SMMR network members! Co-benefit Solutions for Resilient Coasts and Diverse Marine Values are conducting a survey to understand how SMMR projects communicate climate change information across various sectors. Your input is crucial! Please take just 5 minutes to fill out the survey here. Your insights will help shape future communication strategies within the SMMR program. Thank you for your participation.

• Pre-announcement: Value of Marine Artificial Structures (ValMAS): Apply for funding to enhance understanding of the ecological, economic, and social value of marine artificial structures’ natural capital to inform decision making and policy solutions for management for all life stages. You must be based at a UK research organisation in a role that meets the individual requirements. Find out more here. Closing date 5th September 2024 at 4pm.
• Registration and abstract submissions for the Marine Science Communication Conference (CommOCEAN) are officially open! The conference bridges the gap between research and public understanding, fostering dialogue among communicators, scientists, policymakers, educators, and the public. Through innovative approaches like multimedia presentations and digital storytelling, CommOCEAN empowers attendees to convey complex marine science concepts effectively. Registration and abstract submissions are now open! Let's work together to promote ocean literacy, inspire action, and drive positive change for our oceans. The conference is taking place in Malaga (Spain) on 26-27 September and the deadline for abstracts is 15th June. Find out more here.
• The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is seeking input from the academic community to enhance their engagement with UK academia for defence-oriented research and innovation. They have issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather feedback on implementation options. This initiative aims to increase opportunities for academia, fund skilled staff, and shape the future of Defence. Take part in the survey by 12th May to share your views and contribute to shaping MOD's academic engagement. Find out more here.
• The University of Edinburgh is seeking quotes for the Coastal Change Adaptation project (Ref: IQ08-2024) funded by ClimateXChange – Scotland’s Centre of expertise connection climate change research and policy. This project aims to assess how funding for coastal adaptation has been utilised, identify barriers to planning, and inform recommendations for future funding distribution. Interested contractors must submit their proposals by noon on Monday, May 27, 2024. Evaluation criteria include both price (20%) and quality (80%), focusing on various aspects such as research methodology, project management, communication, and risk mitigation. For more information and to access the full terms of reference, please contact Lee Callaghan and copied to Annemarte Bergseng.

Events this week

• NERC is organising the Next Generation Environmental Modelling Community workshop on 10am-3pm, 10th May 2024, London (venue tbc) to gather views on the key challenges, opportunities, and drivers for new approaches to modelling for Environmental Sciences. Through this facilitated event, NERC aims to provide the community with an opportunity to share their views on the future of environmental models for environmental sciences. Information gathered will contribute to current scoping around how NERC could best support: new modelling approaches; and the ability to exploit the evolving compute landscape for the benefit of environmental science. If you would like to participate, then you must register in advance and provide some information on why you would like to attend the event. Places are limited, therefore if the event is oversubscribed, a selection of participants will be undertaken by NERC with the outcome notified to all on the 3rd May 2024.The event will be held in a central location in London, the venue is tbc. If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Sharpe at: [email protected]. To register please complete the registration form.
• Join in on an important workshop on Monday, May 13, 2024, from 11:00 to 13:00, focusing on Ports and Shipping sector engagement for the development of Scotland's National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2). This session offers a platform to share draft high-level objectives and gather valuable input to shape planning policies. Register via the link: https://bit.ly/NMP2_Ports_Shipping. Your participation will contribute to building a sustainable marine economy and supporting Scotland's ambitions for a Net Zero future. #NMP2 #MarinePlanning #StakeholderEngagement
• Start your day right at Aquaculture UK with a Breakfast Meeting from the Institute of Aquaculture on 14th-15th May. Join industry experts and peers for insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and a hearty breakfast to fuel your mind and body for a productive day ahead. Find out more and Reserve your spot today.
• The ICES Strategic Initiative on Integration of Early Career Scientists (SIIECS) is hosting a webinar to help hone ECR’s presentation skills. Stressed or nervous about presenting at an upcoming conference? This seminar will provide an advice and feedback designed to get rid of those pre-talk jitters and give you the best opportunity to shine. 14th May, 1pm-2.30pm CET. Find out more and register.
• ScottishPower Renewables is delighted to be hosting their 8th?Offshore Wind and Ornithology conference on the 16th May. This free conference event brings stakeholders from across the renewables industry to present industry updates, current research, monitoring programme results as well as work being planned for the future. The conference is hybrid and is being hosted at ScottishPower HQ in Glasgow. Find out more here and register your place on their Eventbrite page.
• WOSiStA Symposium 16th May, 2pm-4pm: This event will feature four female-identifying and non-binary speakers employed in different aspects/sectors of ocean science who will give short career path talks, and then answer questions from attendees. There will also be the opportunity to network and connect with other attendees. Register here.
• National Academies “Regulatory Challenges and Approaches for Deploying Digital Twins” Thursday 16th May, 2-4pm (ET). The personalized nature of digital twins and the ability to inform or automate key decisions present novel regulatory and governance considerations. In this session, panellists will discuss these needs as well as potential approaches to developing thoughtful standards and regulations for digital twins.
• Royal Geography Society will host a webinar on “Coastal change and shoreline management planning: lessons for coastal governance” on Friday 17 May 2024, 10.30am-12.00pm. Join RGS online for a panel discussion broadcast live from the Royal Geographical Society. Register following the link above to join and hear the stories of researchers and practitioners working on the coast, and debate how much progress the UK has made in dealing with coastal hazards, risks to populations, and coastal change.

6 New Job Vacancies

• Administrator – Maritime Research And Innovation UK (MarRI-UK) – 24/05/24
• Deputy Secretary, Hazardous Substances and Eutrophication – OSPAR Commission – 31/05/24
• Postdoctoral Scholarship (2 Years) Within Algal Physiology And Photophysics – Umea University – 02/06/24
• Coastal Restoration Officer – The Wild Life Trust – 15/05/24
• Operations Manager – Government Of South Georgia – 20/05/24
• Administrator / Receptionist – SAMS – 24/05/24

Have a great weekend!