Land use controls inland and coastal aquatic habitat water quality and health in Belize

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

0248-NPP-NOV
26-JPL-Earth Sci

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly‑talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA‑affiliated research institute. These one‑to‑three year fellowships are competitive and advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Belize’s Barrier Reef System is a UNESCO World Heritage site, harboring high levels of biodiversity, is approximately 190 miles long and a part of the 625 mile long, extensive Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere). BBRS is critical to the nation's economy through fisheries and tourism, contributing 15% GDP and supporting work for over 200,000 people.

An agreement between the Government of Belize and The Nature Conservancy launched a Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process in October 2022 to reduce public debt by 12% of GDP and accelerate marine conservation. This NPP opportunity seeks candidates who are interested in conducting research to support the MSP process in collaboration with colleagues in Belize.

• Classification of water quality conditions in inland aquatic and marine environment using remote sensing and in situ methods.
• Further advance understanding of land cover/land use controls on inland aquatic and marine environment conditions.
• Constrain modeled outputs of water quality conditions in marine environments with in situ and remote sensing‑derived data.
• Investigate connectivity of water quality events, such as sedimentation and algal blooms, in marine protected areas and other regions of interest to the MSP process.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Belize to support integration of new datasets and analyses into Marine Spatial Planning.

Earth Science

• Christine Lee
  christine.m.leea.gov
  (818) 354‑3343

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status;
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with a valid EAD card and I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status.

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

• Degree:
  Doctoral Degree.