Assistant Scientist – Marine Biology & Fisheries

About the role

The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) at the University of Miami seeks an Assistant Scientist to lead passive acoustic monitoring projects on marine mammals across the Gulf of Mexico, North Atlantic, and Caribbean. The role supports environmental planning and impact assessments for agencies and contributes to restoration efforts following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement signal‑processing tools for detection, classification, localization, and density estimation of marine‑mammal acoustic signals.
• Create and apply underwater acoustic propagation models to estimate source levels, detection ranges, and anthropogenic noise impacts.
• Quantify absolute noise levels in long‑term recordings and assess spatiotemporal variation, including effects of noise‑reduction technologies.
• Manage field‑work logistics, lead passive acoustic surveys, and coordinate with project teams and stakeholders.
• Prepare technical reports, present findings at scientific meetings, and publish peer‑reviewed articles.

Required profile

• Ph.D. in oceanography, underwater acoustics, bioacoustics, marine biology, engineering, applied mathematics, or a related discipline.
• At least one year of post‑doctoral experience with demonstrated expertise in automated bioacoustic detection, classification, and localization.
• Experience developing acoustic propagation models and working with large multi‑year passive acoustic datasets.
• Ability to conduct multi‑week research vessel deployments and work effectively in a field/shipboard environment.

Required skills

• Proficiency with acoustic analysis software such as Matlab, R, IDL, Triton, Ishmael, XBAT Raven, and PAMGUARD.
• Strong programming skills in statistical/mathematical languages (e.g., R, Matlab).
• Knowledge of ocean noise characterization, acoustic signal processing, and underwater hardware deployment.