WHO WE ARE
The Integrated Marine Fisheries (IMF) Lab is part of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station based at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. We also belong to the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences and College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University. Our lab is supported by and works in close collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Marine Resources Program.
WHAT WE DO
The main objective of the IMF Lab is to conduct scientific research that informs marine resource management. Much of our work focuses on better understanding population and community dynamics of groundfishes in the North Pacific. To do so, we rely on field sampling, lab-based research, and statistical modeling techniques. We also place considerable value on collaborating with academic and agency scientists, resource managers, and fishery stakeholders because of its benefit to both process and product. Some common research themes include: evaluating effects of spatial and temporal scales on ecological inferences, enhancing scientific lessons through cross-regional comparisons, and using multiple metrics to improve our understanding about processes of interest.
OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH USInterested parties should review the descriptions linked below and submit the required materials if the project seems like a good fit.
— PhD Student or Postdoctoral Scholar: Ecosystem Modeling
— Undergraduate Research Opportunity (CAS students)
— Undergraduate Research Opportunity (URSA Engage: first & second year OSU students)
Depending on funding, we may have other opportunities for graduate students and/or postdocs who are interested in working on highly collaborative projects that are specifically designed to answer fisheries management questions. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) spatial ecology, food web dynamics, impacts of climate change on marine taxa, and improving commonly-used statistical tools. We are also interested in hearing from undergraduates who would like to assist with one or more projects!
OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUITY & INCLUSION
The IMF Lab intentionally seeks out and supports diverse identities, backgrounds, and perspectives — doing so improves the quality of our work and enriches our daily lives. Thus, we strongly encourage those who identify with underrepresented and/or historically marginalized groups to apply. Click here for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement and here for a Code of Conduct that Cheryl Barnes (principal investigator for the IMF Lab) helped create through different collaborative processes. We emphasize the ideas, values, and strategies identified therein in all aspects of our work. You can also check out this guide for more information about what it's like to work in the IMF Lab.