Detecting Iceplant from Space Postdocs - Canada - UC Santa Barbara

Description

DESCRIPTION

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UCSB seeks two postdoctoral fellows to help lead a newly funded program focused on using remotely sensed imagery to monitor iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis) infestations for biodiversity conservation. Built on a recent NCEAS project on identifying invasive iceplant along the Santa Barbara County coast by leveraging remote sensing, cloud computing, and machine learning, this project will develop a rapid, scalable approach to monitor and assess distribution and change in invasive iceplant at the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve (JLDP), a 24,460-acre nature preserve in Santa Barbara County managed by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). As part of this three year project, this postdoctoral cohort will work collaboratively with a dynamic project team, including scientific leads at NCEAS and scientists and restoration experts from TNC. Together, this team will work to create an end-to-end machine learning pipeline to analyze large Earth observation data streams and in situ field data to map invasive iceplant and understand its invasion trajectory and impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. This is a two-year long position, with the potential for additional time, and will be based at NCEAS in Santa Barbara, California.

BACKGROUND

Iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis) has become a highly invasive plant species in coastal California, forming large monospecific zones that compete for resources with native plant species, including threatened and endangered species. Despite iceplant's widespread impact, we do not comprehensively know where and how much it is spreading. This project will provide preserve managers at the JLDP and beyond with accurate and actionable information to enable coordinated scaling of iceplant removal and habitat restoration while advancing our understanding of how to scale machine learning applications to Earth observation across space and time. As a successful postdoctoral fellow, you will use your analytical skills and knowledge to lead the development of a data analysis workflow to map the geographical extent of iceplant and obtain geostatistics on currently impacted ecosystems by leveraging remotely sensed and in situ data coupled with cloud computing and machine learning methods. This position will give you significant opportunities to maximize your research's impact and work at the interface of ecological synthesis science and applied management solutions. You will not only be part of an invasive species focused research team, but also a diverse and growing cohort of postdocs and researchers at NCEAS in downtown Santa Barbara, California.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead analysis and synthesis of remotely sensed data to develop open, reproducible workflows to identify invasive iceplant, primarily at the JLDP;
• Engage with preserver managers, scientists, and restoration experts working on ecosystem restoration and invasive species management;
• Lead writing and publication of scientific developments in peer review journals.

RESIDENCY AT NCEAS:

NCEAS is located in scenic downtown Santa Barbara, California. The Center is known for fostering interaction and collaboration, a characteristic that leads to the success of its scientists. NCEAS has a growing and thriving community of postdocs, resident scientists, and analysts, and a frequent influx of leading scientists and practitioners from around the world participating in working group projects across a diverse range of initiatives. NCEAS is also a leader in data science training, offering courses and expertise in reproducible workflows, data infrastructure, and environmental statistics. We expect that postdocs will contribute their knowledge, interests, and enthusiasm to the intellectual atmosphere. The postdoc should anticipate spending the vast majority of their time in residence at the Center and will have the opportunity to travel to relevant national and international events and conferences, with a special focus on meeting and networking opportunities across the Western US and Canada.

NCEAS is committed to improving diversity and inclusion in science. We value the diversity of expertise, backgrounds, needs, and experiences reflected among our residents, visitors, and broader communities. We are committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender identity, parental status, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, citizenship status, and nationality. To see the steps we are taking to advance diversity and inclusion please see our full statement here: .

The department is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic community through research, teaching, and service.