Research Support Assistant 2025

Since 2021, the University of Bristol and Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales have been deploying a network of long-term acoustic recorders in Cardigan Bay, Wales. Bottlenose dolphins produce identity signals (termed “signature whistles”) which act as acoustic labels, enabling us to track individual dolphin movements and estimate population abundance using mark-recapture techniques. This project aims to increase understanding of the spatio-temporal movements of individual dolphins and individual usage of Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The data analysed for the project to-date has allowed us to establish a signature whistle catalogue of 161 individuals whose movements can be tracked using re-detections of their whistles. This information can ultimately be used to guide management decisions and assist in conservation efforts for this population. We are seeking a Research Support Assistant to continue analysis of the data that is being collected on an ongoing basis in Cardigan Bay.

What will you be doing

The key responsibilities of this role include

• Using a combination of automated algorithms and manual data processing to identify bottlenose dolphin signature whistles in a multi-year acoustic dataset
• Assisting with management of the long-term acoustic dataset, ensuring data are appropriately stored, backed-up and organised
• Regularly updating the project team and contributing to progress reports for funders
• There will be opportunities to conduct quantitative and statistical analysis and be involved in peer reviewed publications, with the support of the wider project team
• Although this role does not require fieldwork, there may be occasional opportunities to participate in acoustic recorder deployments and retrievals with Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (part of the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales) based in New Quay, Wales.

You should apply if

This opportunity is suited to a motivated researcher, with an aptitude for quantitative methods and who wishes to gain experience in the field of cetacean bioacoustics. The project team will provide training on the analytical methods, but prior experience with PAMGuard and/or MATLAB would be advantageous. You will join Prof. Stephanie King’s group at the University of Bristol, whose research focuses on cetacean communication and cognition, and collaborate with Dr. Sarah Perry at the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, bridging academic research and conservation. The current research activity is financially supported by the Nature Networks Fund, as part of a project awarded to the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. The Nature Networks Fund is funded by the Welsh Government and administered by The National Lottery Heritage.