I recently got offered an interview with the MNRF for a really good 1y intern position with a heavy focus on aquatic biology in the north. The interview will consist of a PowerPoint presentation I'll give using a topic they'll assign me a week before the interview and 4 questions they'll tell me at the same time so I'll be able to prep for them. The hard part come with a practical assignment following the questions.

This is a format I've never experienced before in interviews and while I'm actually more at ease with the prep time given, I'm very nervous about the practical. Does anyone have any tips or experience on study topics to prepare for this kind of assessment? I'm assuming I should heavily brush up on my stats and fish ID skills for it but I'm grateful for any advice you lot might have. This is kind of a dream job in the perfect location with good pay/terms of the contract so I'm planning to go all out in preparation for it

Edit: this interview is over video call so it's not an in person practical

Hi all!! I just accepted a job to work as a tech monitoring a seabird colony on an island in the northeastern US. I will be spending a lot of time this summer on a very small island, living in field housing with food provided. I am over the moon excited, but not sure how to prepare or what to bring with me. My job will be a lot of sighting banded birds via scope, counting nests (climbing around a rocky/boulder-y shoreline), nest checking, etc., so sometimes pretty physical. My understanding is that we will spend our time outside wearing full body hazmat-type suits (lots of bird poop...), but still not sure what sort of clothes to bring. Running water will be limited, so any field hygiene tips (especially for women) would be helpful as well!!

Has anyone had a similar experience, and if so, what gear did you find essential to your overall comfort? What did you wish you had? Any and all advice would be appreciated!!

The American prairie used to span nearly the whole of central USA, with grasses thousands of years old. As preservation projects become more and more successful, and sprawl is wrangled, I can't help but wonder if a predator in the American Cheetah's niche might be useful to the ecosystem.

For example, I understand that pronghorn are generally too fast for puma and wolves, which follows, as their ancestral predator was the Am. cheetah.

The cheetah filled a viable niche that may be beneficial today with enough animals to "remember" it, such as (but ofc not limited to) the pronghorn.

That may be a couple hundred years into the future and I'm alright with that, but it's fun to speculate!

Hey guys. I recently finished my bachelor studies in molecular biology but ive become more interested in ecology. Is it a good idea to get a masters degree in ecology and which branch of ecology from your experience is the most interesting, dynamic, fulfilling and paid? Im new at this and need help. I love going to the field, i dont want to be tied to a desk the whole day. Im looking for a balance between the two. Btw i live in Europe and considering getting my masters in Sweden.

I am working on a protected habitat monitoring project with phytosociological analysis. The areas in question are part of a larger protected area, and we are assessing (depending on the necessary time and financial resources) how we can identify possible habitat extensions within this area. Unfortunately, I do not have much experience in this field, and I would like to read some literature on the subject. Do you have any suggestions for scientific articles or specialist books that I could consult in order to identify the most effective method of doing this work?

I just watched a great conversation with mycologist Patricia Kaishian and So of Queer Nature and it has compelled me to take a deeper interest in ecology. Both of them spoke a lot about having years of learned experience reading the landscape of forests (animal tracks, moisture, etc) and the importance of also setting a devotion to visiting a place repetitiously over a long period of time.

I live in NYC and wanted to know where are great places nearby that I can get hands-on experience with observing such ecologies. Is this even the right path to begin? I’m gathering resources such as taking courses on advaya but please also link any material that may help, both for immersive forest visits and academic texts/ courses.

I know this post is sooo broad which is only revealing how little I know about this field but I’m invigorated to study and connect more deeply with nature. Not trying to get a degree or anything but definitely want to devote more to learning in a structured way.

I am choosing my bachelor's major in ecology. How does Applied Ecology differ and is it a more marketable degree for employment?

Hi everyone!!

My name is Leila, I’m an undergraduate studying ocean science and marine conservation and I have just finished my undergraduate dissertation article on the causes/triggers for the orca interactions that have been happening in Spain and Portugal since 2020. I will not be getting my grades back for a while, but I am hoping to potentially get this rewritten for publication as I think I may be onto something here!! But it’s only my first ever piece of scientific writing and could use some other opinions!

So I was wondering if there are any marine biologists or lecturers (or any fellow orca enthusiasts ☺️) in this group who would be interested in taking a look at my article and letting me know what they think/ if they think it’s worth trying to publish and offer me any advice moving forwards whilst I’m waiting on my results from the University

Please message me if you’re interested in taking a look!!

Thank youuu 💗

Hello all, I'm looking into doing some independent research (I'm not in college and this is not for classes) into maritime interdunal freshwater swales. I want to specifically study these for conservation purposes, because where I live a certain species is being threatened due to the disappearing aforementioned ecological community.

Hello,

I have a data set consisting of physicochemical data of 50 different sampling sites and diatom species compositions of these sites. I collected data from the same sampling site for 4 seasons.

I grouped my data seasonally.

I want to do mrpp test for differences between groups. I found out that this is done in R and PC-ord. But I cannot add my own data to PC-ord.

There is a MRPP test in the vegan package for R. But I cannot add my own data to it. (I'm new to r)

I am waiting for your suggestions and help.

Thank you.

im nearing the end of my PhD but I'm still struggling with modeling part of ecology especially when reading papers with equations. I can do stats in R (anovas, regression, community analysis, etc.) and published papers with just that. But as I dive into the ecology world for the rest of my life, I wanted to be more mathematically fluent for more confidence and perhaps make my research more robust. I don't have a calculus background. How do I start? is there like a shortcut to just study the most important things?

I’m going to a conference in a couple weeks and trying to move things around to be able to make the networking sessions. Just wondering have people made good contacts for jobs with networking events or is it something that is overhyped?

Oyster reefs and coral reefs are very important ecosystems, serving vary similar functions. Both are vulnerable for similar reasons. Some biologists have considered mixing both reefs to maximize both benefits of the reefs. What are the ecological side effects of hybrid reefs?

Cool wildlife job with a cool group. A wild turkey study in KY.

Hi! Hope this is the right sub!

I’m curious if it’s a viable option for me to create my own project to gain “experience” for future applications?

I’m thinking of restoring the ecosystem in my backyard; thoroughly with data points, evidence, etc, and using that as a way to gain “experience” for applying to internships and jobs and such down the line. Almost like a final project/thesis perhaps?

With my current situation, I can’t do any internships (or almost anything “professional” really) to gain experience for about 2 more years (complicated).

Well, I don’t want to wait 2 years to start!

Would this be a worthwhile idea to pursue to make me stand out for applications if I don’t have much professional experience?

Thank you so much in advance!!

I plan to incorporate the biological interactions between several herbivores, especially the interspecific competition relationship, into the species distribution model, or modify it based on the model running results. Is there any more innovative method? I checked some papers, but most of them just use the existing model calculation results as factors. Is there any better way?

https://climatewaterproject.substack.com/p/unifying-ecology-and-climate-with

Hi all, I'm hoping to get some advice here. I did my undergrad in Ontario and have a few biology courses but majored in environmental studies (NOT science). I had no idea that RPbio was even a thing until I moved to BC to continue on with grad school (PhD which will be in biology).

I have been looking into the RPbio and ASPB qualifications but I'm fairly positive that I won't be able to get it based on my undergrad degree.

I'm in a very quantitative heavy lab which I really enjoy and so I'm not necessarily set on being out in the field for work. However, I know that it's impossible to get any government job without RPbio. I just feel like I kinda screwed myself over without even knowing during my undergrad.

I'm just wondering if anyone has gone through this / if anyone has been able to get government jobs without having their RPbio or ASPB. I'm feeling quite overwhelmed and discouraged right now.

Hi all,

I am a PhD student in Ecology and Evolution. I broadly study marine benthic ecology, patterns in biodiversity in soft sediments on the continental shelf. More specifically, I study predatory snails and interactions with their bivalve prey.

I am taking my qualifying exam in a little over a month and I am terrified. It is a full three hours where my committee can ask me anything they want. So to practice, please ask me anything and I will give you an answer (maybe not immediately, but asap). It doesn’t have to be related specifically to marine systems, but it can.

I appreciate your time and help in me practicing for my quals. Thanks!

What is the biggest problem in the planet in your opinion now? May be any ideas how to solve it?

Is this moss or lichen amongst the grass?