September 10, 2010 - School of Biology - University of St Andrews

University of St Andrews
Scottish Oceans Institute
Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba
East Sands
St Andrews, KY16 8LB
Scotland, UK
Website: http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk
General Office: Phone (+44) 1334 463472
Fax (+44) 1334 463443
Post-graduate research opportunity 01 November, 2011
Social, acoustic, foraging behaviour and ecophysiology of killer whales in the North Atlantic.
Up to 2 post-graduate positions are available at either the PhD or MPhil level.
Background:
Killer whales are one of the better-studied cetaceans world-wide, and research on killer whales in the
North Atlantic has advanced markedly in recent years. There is considerable interest in the social
structure, ranging patterns, foraging ecology, and acoustic behavior of North Atlantic killer whales, and
how such patterns might relate to those of killer whales in other populations world-wide.
Left: The MS Strønstad and workboat used for tagging, tracking and observing killer whales in the
Vestfjord area of Norway; Center: A herring-feeding killer whale with Dtag attached; Post-doctoral
researchers Ricardo Antunes and Filipa Samarra enjoy a laugh with Páll Marvin in Iceland.
Research within the Miller lab over the last 6 years has focused on the foraging behaviour of herringfeeding
killer whales in Norway and Iceland, sound production and acoustic communication of N.
Atlantic killer whales, the effects of sonar on the behaviour of killer whales in Norway, and the reactions
of sperm whales and long-finned pilot whales to playback of killer whale sounds. The research has
employed cutting-edge tools including photo-identification, towed and vertical hydrophone array systems,
animal-attached tags including Dtags and camera tags. These fieldwork projects have been conducted in
collaboration with research teams from Iceland, Norway, and Japan. Because some killer whales are also
held in captivity, there can also be a substantial benefit to conducting joint research projects in captivity
and in the wild. The Miller lab has recently conducted research on sound production and vocal flexibility
in Marineland, Antibes, France and Harderwijk Dolphinarium, The Netherlands.
The University of St Andrews Court is a charity registered in Scotland, No:SC013532

University of St Andrews
Scottish Oceans Institute
Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba
East Sands
St Andrews, KY16 8LB
Scotland, UK
Website: http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk
General Office: Phone (+44) 1334 463472
Fax (+44) 1334 463443
The post-graduate research opportunity:
The Miller lab is seeking well-trained, motivated, and independent students to join in their research
efforts on killer whales in the North Atlantic. There are a number of potential research projects available
depending upon the interest and independent work experience of each applicant. Some top priority
research projects which we hope to work on within our lab over the next four years will be to:
a.) explore to what extent killer whales in the North Atlantic produce group-specific vocalizations, as has
been best documented with salmon-feeding ‘resident’ killer whales in the NE Pacific. This project will
entail a combination of research into social patterns of killer whales, recording of sounds from identified
groups, and investigations of the function of vocalizations in complex social groupings.
b.) further describe the foraging ecology of North Atlantic killer whales. To date, our research has
focused upon herring-feeding killer whales off Norway and Iceland. While there is more learn about the
details of foraging in herring-feeders, other questions include how foraging behavior might differ
depending on prey types, herring vs mackerel, and fish vs mammals. Central to this topic is to investigate
whether individual animals or groups specialize on one prey type, as appears to occur in the NE Pacific or
whether there is more flexibility in prey types in the North Atlantic.
c.) describe sound-production mechanisms and vocal flexibility in killer whales. Killer whales are known
to produce some of the most intriguing sounds in the animal kingdom, including 2-voice calls and highest
frequency whistles of any dolphin. However, very little is known about how killer whales actually
produce these sounds mechanically. A related question is how killer whales acquire the specific sounds
they produce, and how flexible might be their ability to learn new sounds. This research area might
benefit strongly from a captive research component.
d.) quantify energetic budgets and feeding rates of killer whales to predict their impact on the North
Atlantic food web. As apex predators, killer whales might exert important top-down controls on the
ecosystems in which they live. Besides identifying what types of prey they consume at different times of
year, it is also important to consider how much prey they kill and consume in order to meet their energetic
requirements. Biomechanical and feeding data from accelerometer and camera tags are powerful tools to
quantify critical parameters for this research area.
Studentship funding:
At the present time, there is no specific funding for studentships under this program. All applicants will
be eligible to compete for any funded studentships that may come available within the University of St
Andrews, and which are awarded to the best prospective students on the basis of demonstrated merit.
Therefore, students who are able to independently arrange their own funding via fellowships from
government agencies and NGOs will greatly strengthen their applications.
The University of St Andrews Court is a charity registered in Scotland, No:SC013532

University of St Andrews
Scottish Oceans Institute
Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba
East Sands
St Andrews, KY16 8LB
Scotland, UK
Website: http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk
General Office: Phone (+44) 1334 463472
Fax (+44) 1334 463443
HOW to APPLY:
If you are interested in the project, but don’t feel ready to send in a full application, please register your
interest using the web-link. Once you are ready to apply, please submit all required application materials
as instructed by the University.
In reviewing your application, heavy consideration will be given to the Cover Letter, which should take
the form of a short research proposal. Vague cover letters that merely indicate areas of interest will not
be considered. A good Cover Letter will include a summary of the relevant background literature in the
specific proposed research area, a list of specific research goals to be accomplished during the postgraduate
study, and specific credible suggestions for how the research might be accomplished. Finally,
the Cover Letter should detail the applicants own qualifications, interests and abilities in relation to the
proposed research.
If you wish to apply for independent funding to support your studentship costs, please check the specific
rules of the funding body. If a letter of support is required for your application, please contact
pgrecbiology@st-andrews.ac.uk detailing what is required in the letter. Some types of support letters
may require you to have applied formally, so please start this process well in advance of the funding
deadline.
All applications will be assessed twice annually, with the next upcoming application deadlines on 30
January 2012, 30 June, 2012, and 30 January, 2013. The positions will remain open until they are
successfully filled.
Candidate background:
The project would suite a candidate with interests in animal behaviour, energetics and physiology, marine mammal
science, bioacoustics, and/or biologging science. The work will be primarily field-based (in the wild or in
captivity) and the project should be developed by the candidate. We expect the student to produce high quality
research and publications and to present their work at international meetings. The successful candidate will have to
be able to work in a team but also show a high degree of independence and initiative. Dedication, intelligence,
humour, organisation and computer literacy are essential attributes. Candidates will require at least a 2.1 degree or
further qualification (M. Res., M. Sc.).
The University of St Andrews Court is a charity registered in Scotland, No:SC013532

University of St Andrews
Scottish Oceans Institute
Institiud Chuantan na h-Alba
East Sands
St Andrews, KY16 8LB
Scotland, UK
Website: http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk
General Office: Phone (+44) 1334 463472
Fax (+44) 1334 463443
Being a student in St. Andrews
Successful applicants will become a part of the Scottish Oceans Institute (SOI) within the School of Biology.
Before starting, the student project will be more specifically defined by the student, Dr Miller, and relevant lab
members. However, every effort will be made to help the student achieve their research goals. The student will
received critical skills training in bioacoustics, biologging, and data analysis. In addition to informal laboratory
meetings and regular formal review meetings, each graduate student in the SOI benefits from being assigned an
internal examiner and PG tutor. The student has regular meetings with this group (at 4, 9 and 18-24 months) to
assess supervision, progress and ensure adequate support and learning. Further training of the student particularly
in transferable skills will occur via the award winning University of St Andrews GRADSkills, programme; a range
of seminars, workshops and conferences running throughout the year.
MASTS:
In addition, the University of St Andrews is part of the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland
(MASTS: see http://mss.st-andrews.ac.uk/). MASTS pools the research talent, involving about 700 researchers, and
the management of resources, consisting of over £66 million annually, in marine science from across Scotland. It
strives to ensure that marine science in Scotland can remain internationally competitive. It provides the academic
platform and knowledge for marine governance and commerce by helping to establish a Scottish strategy for
marine science that will deliver increased value to the public from its investments. The candidate will be
encouraged to join MASTS and take part in relevant training meetings, conferences and events organised by the
MASTS community.
Photo by Sanna Kuningas
The University of St Andrews Court is a charity registered in Scotland, No:SC013532