PhD-position: Surface waves and methane in lakes

PhD-position: Surface waves and methane in lakes

The Environmental Physics Group at the Limnological Institut, University of Konstanz, Germany, offers a PhD-position within the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 454, Subproject D6: ‚Surface waves and their ecological consequences’. The position will start at 1. January 2009. Salary will be according to TV-L13 (50%).

We are looking for a highly motivated student with a background in environmental sciences/engineering, oceanography, physics, mathematics, or biology.

The research project includes practical field work on Lake Constance as well as theoretical modeling within the framework of the following objectives:
• Release and distribution of methane, nutrients and other tracers in Lake Constance
• Modeling of the surface wave field and the resuspension of particles in Lake Constance
• Modeling the temporal and spatial distribution of particles and tracers

The research focus of the PhD thesis will depend on the personal interests and skills of the candidate.

The application should include:
• A brief statement of research interests/experiences, goals, personal motivation and potential start date
• Curriculum Vitae
• Transcripts
• Contact details of referees

Contact details:
Prof. Dr. Frank Peeters
Environmental Physics Group
Limnological Institut, University of Konstanz
Mainaustr. 252
78465 Konstanz

E-mail: frank.peeters@uni-konstanz.de
Tel.: +497531-88-3459
Fax: +497531-88-3533

http://www.uni-konstanz.de/limnologie/ags/Peeters/Uphys_Index_e.html

Ph.D. Student Assistantship – Carbon-mineral geochemistry of earthworm invasion

We seek two highly motivated candidates with M.S. or equilivalent research experience to join our USDA National Research Initiative funded project entitled “Acceleration of inorganic nutrient release and mineral-organic matter association by biophysical soil mixing along an earthworm invasion chronosequence.” This project aims at quantitatively coupling the ecology of earthworm invasion in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota with two major terrestrial biogeochemical processes: mineral chemical weathering and carbon cycling. The project has intensive field, laboratory, and modeling components.

For more information, please see http://www.stroudcenter.org/jobs/gradudopp.htm and http://udel.edu/~kyoo/opportunities.html.

Accepted students will be mentored by an interdisciplinary team of scientists – Kyungsoo Yoo at University of Delaware (soil geomorphology, http://copland.udel.edu/~kyoo/), Anthony Aufdenkampe at UD and Stroud Water Research Center (organic and isotope geochemistry, http://www.stroudcenter.org/about/aufdenkampe.htm), and Cindy Hale at the University of Minnesota, Duluth (ecosystem ecology, http://cfhe.cfans.umn.edu/people/hale.html). Stipend and tuition waiver are available as early as February 2009. Degrees will be granted by the University of Delaware’s Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences (http://ag.udel.edu/plsc/). Reflecting the mission of UD’s new Center for Critical Zone Research (http://cczr.dbi.udel.edu), coursework toward degrees will be completely customized to meet the needs of individual students in this multidisciplinary project and will draw from the extensive offerings within UD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (http://ag.udel.edu), UD’s College of Marine and Earth Studies (http://www.ocean.udel.edu), and UD’s College of Arts and Sciences. State-of-art laboratory facilities are available for this study at the UD (http://cczr.dbi.udel.edu/resources.php) and the Stroud Water Research Center (http://www.stroudcenter.org).

Applicants should have a strong academic background in a field of earth, environmental, or ecological science with substantial coursework in chemistry and math and preferably some coursework in biogeochemistry and soil science. Applicants should also have experience in more than one of the following: fieldwork, geochemical laboratory analyses, computer modeling, scientific presentations and writing. We seek students who could start fieldwork in summer 2009 at the latest, with possibilities to start coursework as soon as February 2009. We encourage interested students to email as soon as possible Kyungsoo Yoo (kyoo@udel.edu) and Anthony Aufdenkampe (aufdenkampe@stroudcenter.org) for further details while preparing a CV, statement of academic interest, and contact information of two references. Official applications are due at UD’s Office of Graduate and Professional Education (http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/applicants/) on Dec. 1 2008 for Spring 2009 admission and April 1, 2009 for Summer 2009 admission.

Research Assistantship (PhD) - Food Web Interactions in a Large, Oligotrophic Lake

The Flathead Lake Biological Station of The University of Montana invites students interested in pursuing a PhD in Biology with an emphasis in Limnology to apply for a graduate research assistantship beginning fall 2009. Students with course work and/or research experience related to plankton ecology, limnology or marine science are encouraged to apply. Good quantitative skills and past experience in modeling are highly desirable. Applicants must be hard working and highly motivated with excellent writing skills.

Trainees will have the opportunity to study the effects of nonnative species introductions and changing climate on nutrient cycling and/or food web interactions in a large (500 km^2 surface area), oligotrophic lake and model those interactions. However, we encourage and expect PhD students to develop their own projects, with our guidance, thus there is latitude within the project for further innovation.

The student will be working under the supervision of Drs. Bonnie Ellis and Jack Stanford at the Flathead Lake Biological Station located on the shores of Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana. The Biological Station is located about 80 miles from the main campus in Missoula, MT. Degree requirements will be fulfilled through the Department of Biological Sciences Organismal Biology and Ecology Graduate Program. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Bonnie Ellis for guidance on application to the graduate program.

Applicants please submit 1) brief statement of research interests/experiences, goals and potential start dates, 2) CV, 3) transcripts (unofficial is fine for now), 4) GRE scores, and 5) contact details for 3 referees to: Dr. Bonnie K. Ellis, Flathead Lake Biological Station, 32125 Bio Station Lane, Polson, MT 59860. Tel. 406-982-3301 ext 239.

Graduate Opportunity, Aquatic Physics and Biogeochemistry

A graduate position at a Ph.D. or M.Sc. level is available for a motivated student interested in interdisciplinary work in the biogeochemistry and physics of water bodies. The position is at the Large Lakes Observatory located on Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota. Potential projects include numerical modeling of sediment-water interactions and investigations of water mixing patterns and their effects on biogeochemical cycling of metals and nutrients. Support is available in the form of teaching and research assistantships.

Large Lakes Observatory is a leading research institution dedicated to the study of large lakes worldwide. More information can be found at www.d.umn.edu/llo. Current research efforts focus on biogeochemical cycling, physical circulation, and regional climate records in environments as diverse as Laurentian Great Lakes, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and tropical lakes of Eastern Africa and Indonesia. Other areas of interest include lake restoration and the fundamental questions in kinetics and thermodynamics of aquatic and sediment systems.

An ideal candidate would possess a degree in geochemistry, physics, limnology, chemistry, or environmental engineering. Competitive analytical skills, experience in numerical modeling, and exposure to field or laboratory work will be considered as advantages.

For more information, please contact Dr. Sergei Katsev at the address below, or by email at skatsev@d.umn.edu. Interested candidates are encouraged to send a C.V. and a short statement of past and present research interests. Formal admission requirements and application instructions can be found at http://wrs.umn.edu/.

Contact:

Dr. Sergei Katsev
Large Lakes Observatory
University of Minnesota Duluth
2205 E. 5th Street
Duluth, MN 55812, USA

Tel.: +1 (218) 726-6057
Fax.: +1 (218) 726-6979
Email: skatsev@d.umn.edu.
Web.: www.d.umn.edu/llo

PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH IN CORAL BLEACHING BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

PhD GRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITY IN CORAL BLEACHING BIOGEOCHEMISTRY at The Ohio State University.

Desired (but not required) qualifications:
1- MSc in Marine Science, Geology, Biology, or any physical science. Exceptional applicants without an MSc will also be considered.
2- Experience in isotope biogeochemistry, organic chemistry, or relevant coursework
3- Tropical fieldwork experience
4- Scuba certified
5- The successful candidate must be accepted into the graduate program in the School of Earth Sciences at The Ohio State University.

The position starts in September 2009 and includes four years of support. Please submit applications electronically by following the instructions at http://www.earthsciences.osu.edu/students_grad.php. Indicate that you would like to study with Dr. Grottoli in your application. In addition, send a complete copy of your application materials as a single .pdf file to Dr. Andrea G. Grottoli at grottoli.1@osu.edu (Note: File should contain copy of your research statement, a cover letter, resume, GRE scores, the names and contact information of three references, and a list of relevant course with grades). Please indicate "Graduate student application" in the subject line. For more information on Dr. Grottoli's research program, please visit http://www.earthsciences.osu.edu/~grottoli.1. Application deadline is 12 January 2009. OSU is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

Ph.D. student Biogeochemical/ecological modelling

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) is a research institute of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences with the mission of carrying out excellent fundamental ecological research. This research is performed in three centers: the Center for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (CEME) in Yerseke, the Center for Limnology (CL) in Nieuwersluis and the Center for Terrestrial Ecology (CTE) in Heteren. In the research international collaboration, communication with colleagues and training of Dutch and foreign students play an important role. The research is carried out by a motivated and creative group of researchers who have extended and specialized research facilities at their disposal.

The Department of Ecosystem Studies of the CEME studies the dynamics of estuarine and marine ecosystems as resulting from interactions between biogeochemical (carbon and nutrients cycle) and ecological (flows in food webs, behavior of macro-organisms) processes, both in their present state and under changing forcing due to local and global anthropogenic impacts. Major objectives are understanding key biogeochemical processes, the role of organisms in sediment,s the development of conceptual and mathematical ecological models for sedimentary systems, benthic-pelagic exchange processes and functioning of coastal ecosystems, and the collection of the experimental and long-term field data required. The department comprises about fifteen people.

In the department of Ecosystem Studies is a vacancy for a

PHD student Ecological/Biogeochemical modeller
Vacancy number CEME-ES-08434

in the project: ‘The nitrogen cycle and changes in the carrying capacity of coastal waters’ (NICYCLE) which is subsidized by the Research Council for Earth and Life Sciences (ALW) with financial aid from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) in the National Program on Sea - and Coastal Research (ZKO) part ‘Changing Carrying Capacity of Ecosystems’

Project description:
The main goal of the NICYCLE project is the elucidation of the nitrogen cycle in the Wadden Sea and the bordering North Sea. The relevant processes will be quantified to understand the changes in carrying capacity of these ecosystems with respect to nitrogen. Nitrogen has been chosen because of its central role in the food web and major ecosystem processes, and its complex and fast microbial cycling. In order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the nitrogen cycle in Dutch coastal ecosystems this project aims at a multidisciplinary approach in which the various microbial processes and their rates will be measured, and the key players and their interrelationships will be identified. The acquired knowledge will be incorporated in a dynamic mathematical model. The project involves 5 research groups of NIOO-KNAW (Yerseke), Royal-NIOZ (Texel) and the University of Amsterdam and 4 PhD positions.

Requirement:
We are looking for an enthusiastic and creative person with a masters degree in biology, chemistry, geosciences or engineering. Experience with numerical modeling is a prerequisite. We expect that the candidate will successfully complete a PhD thesis.

Appointment:
This position involves a temporary appointment for a period for 1 year with possibility for an extension for 3 years (38 h per week). The total position involves a temporary appointment for 4 years.

Salary:
According to the Labour agreement Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) the maximum gross monthly salary coming with a full-time appointment will amount to € 2.000,-- per month in the first year and increase to € 2.558,-- per month in the fourth year, excluding 8% holiday pay and year-end bonus. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits.

Work location:
Yerseke, Department of Ecosystem Studies at the NIOO Center for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (CEME).

Information:
Further information and a full description of the project can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Jack Middelburg phone +31 (0)113 577497 or Dr. Karline Soetaert +31 (0)113 577487, e-mail: j.middelburg@nioo.knaw.nl; k.soetaert@nioo.knaw.nl General information about NIOO can be obtained via internet: http://www.nioo.knaw.nl.

Application:
You may send your application including reference number and curriculum vitae before 1 December 2008 to NIOO-KNAW, Center for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (CEME), for the attention of Prof. dr. C.H.R. Heip, P.O. 140, 4400 AC Yerseke or per email to receptie-ceme@nioo.knaw.nl

Ph.D. students Cold water coral metabolism

The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO) is a top research institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). It comprises three centers: the Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (CEME) in Yerseke, the Centre for Limnology (CL) in Nieuwersluis, and the Centre for Terrestrial Ecology (CTE) in Heteren. Mission of the NIOO (http://www.nioo.knaw.nl) is to carry out excellent fundamental and strategic research in ecology.

NIOO is a member of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network consortium CALMARO (Calcification by Marine Organisms; http://www.calmaro.eu/). CALMARO aims at improving the career perspectives of early researchers by offering structured training in the field of Calcification by Marine Organisms as well as providing complementary skills and exposing the researchers to other sectors including private companies. CALMARO comprises investigation of calcareous structures as well as calcification processes and the sensitivities to changes in environmental conditions at all scales ranging from cellular, organism, population to ecosystem, and regional to global levels.

We are looking for a

Ph.D. STUDENT
Vacancy number CEME-ES-08435


to study community metabolism, energy flow and calcification in tropical coral and temperate deepwater coral communities maintained in mesocosms. The project involves the use of state-of-the-science approaches to investigate the differential response of these two communities to elevated CO2, organic matter and nutrient loadings. CO2 controlled incubation devices will be used to experimentally assess the response of coral communities to atmospheric CO2 levels projected for the year 2100 (~ 700 ppmv) and to identify synergetic effects of elevated CO2, temperature and nutrient supply on calcification and community metabolism. Stable carbon isotopes will be used as deliberate tracers to unravel and quantify flows of energy and matter within the benthic community and from organic matter to aragonite/calcite. 13C added in the form of phytodetritus or bicarbonate will be traced in primary producer (algae), consumer (bacteria and metazoans) and calcium carbonate produced.

Requirements:
Applicants must have a Masters Degree or equivalent in ecology, environmental sciences, geosciences or oceanography, and be able to communicate in English. Applicants can originate from anywhere in the world, and cannot have resided in the host country for more than 5 years. Candidates should be interested in combined experimental-analytical-modeling research and are expected to complete a Ph.D. thesis in 4 years.

Appointment:
The appointment will be initially for 1 year, which will be extended to 4 years provided that the applicant has proven to be well suited for the job. The project will start late 2008 or early 2009

Work location:
The Ph.D. student will be employed at Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology (NIOO-CEME) in Yerseke, The Netherlands, but the experimental work with corals will be executed at ZMT (Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology, Bremen, Germany http://www.zmt-bremen.de/) for two periods of about 5-6 months.

Salary:
The gross salary starts at € 2000,- per month in the 1st year, and will gradually increase to a maximum of € 2558,- per month in the 4th year.

Information:
Further information and a full description of the project can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Jack Middelburg phone +31 (0)113 577497 or Dr. Karline Soetaert +31 (0)113 577487, e-mail: j.middelburg@nioo.knaw.nl; k.soetaert@nioo.knaw.nl General information about NIOO can be obtained via internet: http://www.nioo.knaw.nl.


Application:
You may send your application including reference number and curriculum vitae before before 1 November 2008 to Prof. Dr. C.H.R. Heip, director NIOO-CEME, P.O. Box 140, 4400 AC Yerseke, The Netherlands, or by e-mail to receptie-ceme@nioo.knaw.nl.

Graduate Student Assistantships in Marine Sciences

M.S. and Ph.D. Opportunities in Marine Sciences. The Department of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applicants for graduate study in Ph.D. and M.S. programs. Our Marine Sciences program has substantial federal, state and private funding support for cutting-edge research on topics including marine ecology, biogeochemical processes, marine microbiology, coastal and estuarine physical oceanography, river-ocean interactions, coastal geology, fluid dynamics and acoustics. These interdisciplinary, collaborative projects are increasing our understanding of the marine environment and are assessing impacts of human- and climatically-induced change in the coastal zone. Graduates of our program hold positions in a variety of settings, including at universities and research institutions (within the US and abroad), and in federal and state agencies.

We are addressing a wide range of environmental processes and problems along the continuum spanning riverine, estuarine, coastal and open ocean environments around the globe including the Arctic, the Amazon, the US East Coast and Florida Keys, the Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California, Chinese rivers and lakes, and the Pacific, including the Galapagos Islands (where UNC-Chapel Hill maintains a field laboratory). Research projects focus on the ecosystem and regional scale, utilizing field experimental, observational and modeling approaches. Details of specific research projects and publications can be found at http://www.marine.unc.edu/. Potential students are strongly encouraged to contact our Academic Program Coordinator (nadera@email.unc.edu) and relevant individual professors by email. Recruitment events will be held in late February and middle March. Interested applicants should contact the Department to learn about the possibility of support for your visit to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

Top candidates will be nominated for Graduate School awards including competitive 5 year Fellowships. All entering graduate students are supported by Fellowships, Teaching and Research Assistantships, and generally receive tuition remission and in-state tuition awards.

All Ph.D. students in Marine Sciences are eligible for Gussenhoven Endowment Travel Funds to attend scientific conferences or visit outside laboratories. Chapel Hill and the North Carolina coast are excellent places to live and the academic resources at UNC Chapel Hill are of the highest national quality.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Research Assistantship (Ph.D.): Landscape Limnology

Quantifying human disturbance for aquatic ecosystem management within a landscape framework: Lakes as model systems.

We are seeking a highly motivated doctoral student to join the landscape limnology research group at Michigan State University. The student will develop a dissertation project that quantifies: (1) the relationships among fish assemblages, water clarity and chemistry, and natural hydrogeomorphic landscape-scale factors, (2) regional differences in the response of lakes to human disturbance, and (3) lake distance from reference condition. The student will examine these questions using a lake and landscape database that encompasses a 6-state region of MI, WI OH, IA, ME and NH. Preferable start date is August, 2009.

Applicants must be self-motivated and hard-working with good written and verbal communication skills. A background in ecology, landscape ecology, geography or limnology is desired. Past experience with geographic information systems, statistics (especially spatial), database management, and working in multidisciplinary collaborative research settings is desirable.

Applicants interested in this position should be prepared to submit an application for a university fellowship http://grad.msu.edu/funding.htm by early December 2008.

Closing Date: November 1, 2008

Please submit the following information to Dr. Pat Soranno (soranno@msu.edu), Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 13 Natural Resources Building, East Lansing, MI, 48824:
1. Cover letter describing background, relevant research interests and skills, and career objectives
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Unofficial transcripts
4. GRE scores (including percentiles)
5. Names, phone numbers, and emails of three references

For more information, please contact any member of MSU’s Landscape Limnology Research Group:
Dr. Mary Bremigan (bremigan@msu.edu)
Dr. Kendra Cheruvelil (ksc@msu.edu)
Dr. Pat Soranno (soranno@msu.edu)
Dr. Katherine Webster (webster152@msu.edu)

Graduate Student Assistantship, Ballast water dispersion and aquatic invasive species

Graduate student opportunities at the University of Toronto, studying ballast water dispersion in the Great Lakes.

Graduate Research Assistantships are available at the Geography Department at the University of Toronto for students beginning in May 2007. We are looking for a highly motivated graduate student to participate in a funded field project entitled "Hydrodynamics of ballast water release in relation to aquatic invasive species". This project aims to study how the rates of dispersion of released ballast water influence the risk of a new invasive species establishing itself at different locations within the Great Lakes. Further information on the project is available at

http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~wells/Ballast_Water_project.html

The candidate should have a good quantitative background, and preferably hands on experience in field work. The student must qualify for admission into the Masters or PhD geography program at the University of Toronto.

http://www.geog.utoronto.ca/programs/geog-grad/prospective

Interested students should contact Mathew Wells by email at wells@utsc.utoronto.ca