The Gosselin lab (http://faculty.tru.ca/lgosselin/) at Thompson Rivers University (https://www.tru.ca/), in Kamloops, British Columbia, is seeking applicants for an MSc position, with an intended start date of January 2026. Benthic invertebrates, such as barnacles, snails, mussels, tubeworms, crabs and hermit crabs, are the dominant animals in coastal habitats; they are also an important part of the coastal food web linking primary producers to upper-level predators, and several benthic invertebrates are either harvested or reared in aquaculture as food for humans. Research in our lab focuses primarily on the ecology of a highly vulnerable and critical period of the life cycle of benthic marine invertebrates, the early juvenile phase. Our work aims to understand the role of the early juvenile phase in regulating overall population abundance and persistence, and especially the impacts of climate change on this important phase of life.

The upcoming MSc project will explore effects of climate change on intertidal invertebrates, examining tolerance thresholds of early juvenile invertebrates relative to increasing desiccation stress and to temperature conditions predicted to occur on the BC coast over the next century. The project will involve field collection and experimentation in pristine coastal habitats as well as laboratory experimentation. Field research work will be carried out during the spring and summer, primarily at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on beautiful Vancouver Island, and at various field sites in Barkley Sound. The rest of the year (Sept-April) will be spent on campus at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC.

We are looking for an individual with a keen interest in marine invertebrate ecology and a background in ecology and evolution. In addition, the following are not required but will be considered favourably: research experience acquired by completing an Honours or Directed Study program during your bachelors degree or by working as a research assistant with a professor at your university or in a government laboratory; prior course work or work experience in population ecology, aquatic invertebrate biology, or ecological field techniques; field courses in aquatic ecology (marine or freshwater).

Stipends to support the student in this MSc position will be available at TRU through Graduate Research Assistantships and opportunities for Teaching Assistantships. To qualify, applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and have a BSc in a relevant field. The selected student will be admitted through the MSc in Environmental Science program at Thompson Rivers University (https://www.tru.ca/science/programs/msces.html).

If interested, please send a Curriculum vitae, post-secondary transcripts, and a letter describing your academic interests and qualifications and outlining why you want to carry out a graduate degree in marine ecology, via email, by Friday 17 October 2025 to:
Dr Louis Gosselin
Department of Biological Sciences, TRU
lgosselin@tru.ca

Posted September 16 2025