The University of Florida is recruiting a PhD Graduate Assistant in fisheries ecosystem modelling — a funded doctoral position that pays $30,000 a year, plus tuition and benefits, for research that helps decide how Gulf of Mexico and Southeast US fisheries are managed. The post starts in 2027 and, unusually for a PhD opening, it has no fixed closing date: it is open until filled, with applications reviewed as they arrive.
The position sits with Dr David Chagaris at the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station (NCBS). The student will pursue the PhD through either the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) or the School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE), and will collaborate with scientists from NOAA and the University of Florida.
At a Glance
| Detail | What the official listing says |
|---|---|
| Position | PhD Graduate Assistant — fisheries ecosystem modeling |
| Institution | University of Florida, Gainesville, FL — UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station |
| Posted | 18 August 2026 (Chagaris Lab official opportunities page) |
| Apply by | Open until filled — reviewed as received, so apply promptly |
| Start date | 2027 |
| Salary | $30,000 per year, plus tuition and benefits |
| Benefits | GatorGradCare health care plan, paid leave (5 days per semester), voluntary retirement programme |
| Degree route | PhD via SFFGS or SNRE |
| Supervisor | Dr David Chagaris |
| Contact | dchagaris@ufl.edu |
What the research actually does
This is not a desk-only PhD. The work is highly quantitative and applied: building ecosystem models and running analyses that answer real management questions — how fish stocks and marine ecosystems respond to fishing and to environmental change, and what that means for the rules that govern them.
Specifically, the student will use ecosystem models to evaluate fisheries productivity and develop effective management strategies in response to changes in:
- Climate
- Habitat
- Water quality
- Forage fisheries
- Harmful algal blooms
- Invasive species
The overarching goal is ecosystem-based fisheries management for the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeast US — bridging ecosystem science, stock assessment and management, rather than treating each fish stock in isolation.
Who can apply
Minimum qualification: an MS degree in biology, ecology, marine science, fisheries, oceanography, wildlife, or a related field.
Preferred background:
- Knowledge and experience with ecosystem and food web models, fish population dynamic models and stock assessment, species distribution models, and geospatial analysis of large fisheries and environmental datasets
- Strong written and oral communication skills, demonstrated by publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional conferences
- Experience with the Ecopath with Ecosim ecosystem modelling software package
- Proficiency in R statistical computing software
- Experience working in collaborative, multidisciplinary projects, and leading research projects
The listing stresses collaboration: the student joins a diverse team spanning NOAA and UF, with opportunities for research collaboration, networking and teaching through the NCBS–SFFGS–SNRE arrangement.
Why this one stands out
Most funded PhDs in fisheries science are tied to a single species or a single survey. This one is explicitly about the whole system — food webs, habitats, climate and fishing pressure together — and its outputs are meant to feed directly into stock assessments and management advice. For a student who wants their modelling to change real catch decisions, rather than sit in a thesis, that direct line to NOAA and UF management science is the attraction.
The open-until-filled status cuts both ways: there is no hard deadline to miss, but the position can close without warning once the right candidate is found, because applications are reviewed as they are received. Waiting for a deadline that does not exist is the one way to lose this opportunity.
How to apply
Send the following to Dr David Chagaris at dchagaris@ufl.edu:
- A letter of interest
- A resume or CV
- Unofficial transcripts
- Contact information for two references
There is no separate online application form named in the official listing — the email to the supervisor is the application route. Apply as soon as your documents are ready, and confirm the position is still open in your email, since it closes when filled.
Sources
- University of Florida, Chagaris Lab — Opportunities page (official, posted 18 August 2026, checked 26 October 2026): position, salary ($30,000/year plus tuition and benefits), benefits (GatorGradCare, 5 days/semester paid leave, voluntary retirement programme), start date 2027, “Open until filled”, minimum and preferred qualifications, application documents and contact dchagaris@ufl.edu. Note: some secondary listings mentioned a 31 October 2026 priority date, but the official lab page — the authoritative source — states “Open until filled” and “reviewed as they are received”, so this post uses the official wording and gives no fixed deadline.
- UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, SFFGS and SNRE — host units named in the same official listing.
Note: The images in this post are illustrations created for this article, not photographs from the University of Florida.