Marine Ornithologist (Peterborough or Aberdeen)

JNCC’s marine ornithologists provide advice to statutory bodies, regulators and industry on the potential impacts of marine industries on seabird populations, as well as working jointly with government, industry, NGOs and academia to obtain evidence on impacts. The evidence required to make informed decisions that ensure sustainable use of the marine environment is a focus for JNCC’s work. We synthesise existing evidence, broker engagement between different sectors and, typically through collaboration, identify the most relevant new evidence that is required to fulfil conservation ambitions whilst reducing uncertainty in the decision-making process. The marine ornithology group is part of the Marine Species Team, which covers various aspects of conservation of mobile marine megafauna (birds, mammals and fish), such as protected area design, management and monitoring, conservation strategies, research and evidence needs. This post will be involved in the provision of statutory advice on nature conservation of birds in the marine environment, in particular relating to impacts of industry on these species in UK offshore waters. The post-holder will also contribute to various industry-funded projects relating to improving the strategic evidence base for assessing industry impacts on marine birds.

Post Duties

The post holder will carry out a range of projects and functions with the overall objective of contributing to provision of advice regarding conservation of marine birds in waters around the UK. Examples are provided below but this is not prescriptive nor exhaustive. 

• Contribute to the provision of advice to government and offshore industry efficiently. This will involve working in close collaboration with other JNCC staff in the Marine Species Team and the Marine Management Team in particular. In some cases, this will also require co-ordination with colleagues in the country conservation bodies. 

• Work with partner organisations to improve the evidence base for quantifying impacts of industry on marine birds, particularly offshore wind, and assessing potential measures to mitigate and compensate for negative impacts.

• Improve understanding of wider drivers of change for threatened marine bird populations, and management interventions that can improve overall status and resilience.
 
• Contribute to work providing outputs such as evidence collation and synthesis, the identification of key knowledge gaps on the potential impacts of offshore industry activities on marine birds, and the development of research ideas and proposals to close gaps.

• Provide support across several evidence projects, both government and industry funded, as required, such as the Offshore Wind Strategic Monitoring and Research Forum, the Offshore Wind Environmental Evidence Register and the OWEC project ProcBe on Manx Shearwater and storm-petrel behaviour at sea.

• Provide advice on licences for certain offshore activities, particularly offshore wind (training will be provided).