Graduate Research Fellowship, Ecosystem Forecasting

A Graduate Research Fellowship (Ph. D.) is available at the Lake Superior Ecosystem Research Center, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan. The appointment will be in the Department of Biological Sciences with field studies in southern Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. The southern Lake Michigan project deals with the “doughnut”, a late-winter productivity pulse in offshore waters caused by gyre entrainment of coastal nutrient-rich waters and sediments. The pulse may be linked to climatic warming (i.e. reduction of coastal ice) and is coupled to survival of overwintering copepods. The Lake Superior project deals with the Keweenaw Current in Lake Superior and propagule (resting egg dispersal) transport between embayments. Regular RA support may be supplemented by summer fellowship training at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI. Both projects emphasize aspects of ecological forecasting and involve training in remote sensing, shipboard sampling and use of CTD’s, BAT’s, and optical plankton counters (OPC) to characterize water masses and plankton. Work will be done jointly with NOAA GLERL chief scientists. We encourage individuals who seek remote sensing training and who are interested in plankton dynamics.

Candidates may apply by completing the forms at http:// www.gradschool.mtu.edu/ and must provide GRE scores and three letters of recommendation. Foreign students must also include TOEFL scores. Questions about the research program may be directed to W. Charles Kerfoot at wkerfoot@mtu.edu, whereas questions about the application should be directed to gradadms@mtu.edu.