MSc projects on coastal watershed nitrogen cycling and phycotoxicity at Université de Moncton, campus de Shippagan
An MSc position will be available starting summer 2010 to conduct one of the following projects.
1)Nitrogen fixation and denitrification along coastal rivers of New Brunswick. Estuaries are thought to act as net sinks of nitrogen, thereby preventing terrestrial nitrogen from reaching coastal waters where it may otherwise lead to eutrophication. However, it remains unclear how the relative importance of nitrogen fixation (source) and denitrification (sink) change within watersheds along the hydrological gradient and among watersheds characterized by different land uses. This project will involve river sampling, estimates of nitrogen fixation and denitrification, and models of nitrogen flux to quantify the basic nitrogen cycle at the interface of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.
2)Paleoecological rectonstruction of water quality and algal productivity of coastal waters. In addition to increasing nitrogen inputs from terrestrial systems, coastal zones have experienced mixed signals from both anthropogenic activities (urbanization, agriculture, forestry, mining) and natural phenomena (climatic, hydrologic variability) that may have contributed in part to the recent increases in toxic blooms frequency. Sediment cores will be collected from selected New Brunswick estuaries and analyzed for historical changes in isotopic content (N source) and biological fossils (production) to quantify the relative importance of anthropogenic (manageable) and natural (unmanageable) factors in controlling coastal ecosystem health.
Qualifications: BSc in biology, environmental science or related discipline. Ability to follow courses in French.
Stipend: a $17,500/year stipend is available for the successful applicant.
Interested students should send a current resume with GPA and contact information of three references to Dr. Alain Patoine at alain.patoine@umcs.ca
An MSc position will be available starting summer 2010 to conduct one of the following projects.
1)Nitrogen fixation and denitrification along coastal rivers of New Brunswick. Estuaries are thought to act as net sinks of nitrogen, thereby preventing terrestrial nitrogen from reaching coastal waters where it may otherwise lead to eutrophication. However, it remains unclear how the relative importance of nitrogen fixation (source) and denitrification (sink) change within watersheds along the hydrological gradient and among watersheds characterized by different land uses. This project will involve river sampling, estimates of nitrogen fixation and denitrification, and models of nitrogen flux to quantify the basic nitrogen cycle at the interface of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.
2)Paleoecological rectonstruction of water quality and algal productivity of coastal waters. In addition to increasing nitrogen inputs from terrestrial systems, coastal zones have experienced mixed signals from both anthropogenic activities (urbanization, agriculture, forestry, mining) and natural phenomena (climatic, hydrologic variability) that may have contributed in part to the recent increases in toxic blooms frequency. Sediment cores will be collected from selected New Brunswick estuaries and analyzed for historical changes in isotopic content (N source) and biological fossils (production) to quantify the relative importance of anthropogenic (manageable) and natural (unmanageable) factors in controlling coastal ecosystem health.
Qualifications: BSc in biology, environmental science or related discipline. Ability to follow courses in French.
Stipend: a $17,500/year stipend is available for the successful applicant.
Interested students should send a current resume with GPA and contact information of three references to Dr. Alain Patoine at alain.patoine@umcs.ca
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