Scientists in Parks Biology Assistant - University of California, Davis

The participant will be based in the Poulin lab at UC Davis and will be supervised by a postdoctoral fellow. Their research will contribute to the larger Rusting Rivers project, which seeks to understand the causes and effects of permafrost thaw-driven acid rock drainage in Arctic Alaska.

The participant will use modeling approaches to determine if the metal concentrations in these rivers are toxic to aquatic life. Specifically, the participant will use the US EPA’s Biotic Ligand Model in conjunction with a dataset from our field site including pH, hardness, and organic and inorganic carbon concentrations to assess toxicological risk and predict if observed metal concentrations are causing fish and invertebrate loss.

In addition to developing modeling expertise, the participant will gain skills in laboratory techniques by assisting with metals analyses. They will also gain skills in data management, statistical analysis, and science communication. The Rusting Rivers project is highly collaborative and includes researchers from the United States Geological Survey, National Parks Service, and UC Davis.

The participant will gain insight into how these collaborations across academic and government settings function. Ultimately, the participant will have opportunities to contribute to manuscripts, presentations, reports, and outreach activities depending on their interests.