*PhD Opportunity: Bighorn Sheep Disease Ecology*

The Boyce lab is looking for a PhD Student to work on the bighorn sheep
disease ecology project starting ASAP/Winter 2025.

*Project Description:*

Transmission of disease and pathogens from domesticated animals presents
a substantial risk to wild species. Populations of Alberta's provincial
mammal, the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (*Ovis canadensis canadensis*),
are at high risk from the novel bacterium *Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae*
( *M.ovi*) which commonly occurs in domestic sheep and goat herds. In
fact, a recent outbreak of *M.ovi* occurred near Sheep River Provincial
Park in early 2023.

The ultimate goal of this research is to understand and mitigate
respiratory disease transfer from domestic sheep and goats to bighorns.
Since March 2022 important data have been collected on the movement,
demographics and behaviour of bighorn rams in SW Alberta. An important
element of understanding risk is parameterization of a risk-of-contact
model that requires population specific habitat selection and movement
models. Summer forays (rapid, seemingly random, return movements beyond
an individual's regularly used home range) are thought to be the most
important movements that increase risk of contact with domestic sheep
and goats.

The objectives of this research include

- Documenting patterns of movement of bighorn sheep

- Documenting summer foray behaviour in males

- Optimize Habitat Selection Models (HSM) for use in Risk-of-Contact
  (RoC) models

- Complete RoC assessments for each study population

- Document demographics for each study herd, and evaluate the influence
  of herd composition (ram:ewe ratios, age structure of ram groups) on
  foray behaviour.

*Additional project information:*

The project is well-funded and is composed of a multi-year data set from
over a 100 GPS-collared sheep. Most fieldwork has been completed although
the successful applicant will have opportunity to conduct additional
fieldwork if needed.

*Applicant requirements*

Interested candidates should have completed an MSc in ecology/biology and
should ensure that they meet the entrance requirements for the University
of Alberta department of biology's PhD program.

https://calendar.ualberta.ca/preview_program.php?catoid=44&poid=54706#:~:text=Entrance%20Requirements,standing%20from%20a%20recognized%20institution
.

Preference will be given to domestic (Canadian) applicants but
international students with strong qualifications will be considered.

Interested applicants should contact Dr. Mark Boyce at boyce@ualberta.ca
with your CV and an expression of interest in the project.

Please view https://grad.biology.ualberta.ca/boyce/ to find out more
about the Boyce lab.

Sheeraja Sridharan <sheerja@ualberta.ca>

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