PhD Studentship – Investigating the risk to marine mammals posed by offshore wind energy development in Aotearoa – New Zealand.
Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, in collaboration with Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) and Oregon State University.
Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ), in collaboration with research partners, is undertaking an exciting 5-year project titled "De-risking New Zealand's offshore wind energy: next-generational spatial planning and ecological assessment" (Hau Moana). The project includes a fully funded PhD studentship for 3.5 years (includes tuition fees and a stipend), focusing on marine mammals and building the layers of information required for cutting-edge marine spatial planning.
The student will contribute to gathering and analysing data on distribution and habitat use of marine mammals and assessing risk posed by development of offshore wind energy on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island. Data will be gathered via ship-based and aerial line transect surveys and passive acoustic monitoring, complemented by in-situ and remotely sensed environmental data.
The student will be based in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, and supervised by Associate Professor Will Rayment (University of Otago), Dr Tom Brough (ESNZ), and Associate Professor Leigh Torres (Oregon State University) with additional advisers as required. The researcher will work alongside a range of industry, government and community stakeholders. Ideally the candidate will be able to start before July 2026.
Essential:
Preferred:
Dunedin, New Zealand.
Not specified (fully funded studentship including tuition fees and stipend).
Please send a 2-page CV and 1-page cover letter explaining why you are well suited for the position to Associate Professor Will Rayment at will.rayment@otago.ac.nz before 21 March 2026. Applicants who do not have the essential attributes listed will not be considered. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
21/03/2026.
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