CCMAR/BPD/14/2026 | Post-Doctoral Fellowship (W/M) | Biology, Fisheries and Lab field animal | 2 Vacancies

The Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR) opens two (02) vacancies for a postdoctoral fellowship (BPD) in the scientific area of Biology, Fisheries and Lab field animal, eligible to candidates of any nationality, including stateless persons and beneficiaries of the political refugee status, within the scope of the research project designated by Well4catch – “Advancing animal welfare in fisheries” funded by the Coefficient Giving. The fellowship holder will carry out the following tasks:

Postdoctoral Fellowship 1 — Fish Welfare Physiology and Experimental Validation

Objectives:
⦁    Develop and validate physiological and integrated indicators of fish welfare.
⦁    Quantify welfare impairment across capture, handling, recovery, stunning and slaughter stages.
⦁    Test welfare responses under controlled and commercial fishing conditions.
⦁    Support the development of practical welfare assessment protocols for fisheries.

Tasks:
Task 1.1 — Development and calibration of physiological, behavioural, RAMP and recovery-based welfare indicators

Task 1.2 — Controlled experiments to quantify welfare impairment under different capture and handling conditions

Task 1.3 — Field experiments in longline, set-net and purse-seine fisheries

Task 1.4 — Attribution of welfare impairment to specific stages of the fishing and handling process

Task 1.5 — Experimental assessment of stunning, slaughter and post-capture preservation procedures

Task 1.6 — Development and validation of integrated welfare indicators combining physiology, behaviour, RAMP and recovery

Task 1.7 — Scientific analysis, publications, conference communications and technical dissemination

Postdoctoral Fellowship 2 — Behaviour, Multimodal Welfare Assessment and Modelling

Objectives:
⦁    Develop behavioural and sensor-based indicators of fish welfare.
⦁    Integrate multimodal data for quantitative welfare assessment.
⦁    Develop predictive statistical and AI-based welfare models.
⦁    Build cross-species models linking biological traits to welfare sensitivity.

Tasks:

Task 2.1 — Development and validation of behavioural indicators of stress, fatigue, injury, loss of equilibrium and recovery

Task 2.2 — Sensor-based monitoring of fishing processes using force, accelerometer, motion and environmental data

Task 2.3 — Video-based and automated analysis of fish behaviour during capture, handling and recovery

Task 2.4 — Multimodal welfare assessment integrating behaviour, physiology, RAMP, recovery, sensor and environmental data

Task 2.5 — Development of statistical and AI-based models for predicting fish welfare impairment

Task 2.6 — Development of cross-species welfare models based on species traits and combined welfare indicators

Task 2.7 — Field validation of welfare indicators and predictive models in commercial fisheries

  Task 2.8 — Scientific publications, conference communications, analytical tools and methodological dissemination

The Candidates must meet the following conditions:
1.    PhD certificate in fisheries biology, fish physiology, behavioural ecology or aquatic animal welfare, obtained in the three years prior to the date of submission of this application;
2.    Candidates who have carried out research work leading to a doctoral degree at CCMAR as host institution are not eligible;
3.    Valid driving licence;
4.    The candidates must comply with Article 3 of the CCMAR Scholarship Regulations, here. This will be confirmed in the Curriculum Vitae.

Non-compliance justifies exclusion from the procedure.

Experience in the following areas will be considered an advantage:

a) Experimental work with live fish; 
b) Conducting experiments at sea; 
c) Stress physiology in fish; 
d) Quantitative experimental design; 
e) Relevant scientific background in fish capture and handling, stress, vitality, or welfare; 
f) Familiarity with RAMP and/or other vitality indicators; 
g) Strong skills in statistics and data analysis using R and/or Python; 
h) Biologging / accelerometry;
i) Underwater video; 
j) Telemetry; 
k) Respirometry; 
l) On-site point-of-care physiological blood analyses; 
m) Experience in commercial fisheries; 
n) Interaction with stakeholders/fishers.

Only complete applications submitted directly and obligatorily on the CCMAR website, https://ccmar.ualg.pt/en/career-opportunities, are accepted and must include the documents below indicated under penalty of exclusion:
1.    Copy of the Doctoral Certificate;
2.    Detailed Curriculum Vitae (in English);
3.    A letter of motivation (in English);
4.    Copy of the Driving License;
5.    The email contact of up to 3 referees.

The submission of an application without the documents/information required above determines the immediate rejection of the application.