Company:
Leibniz-Institut für Ostseeforschung Warnemünde
City:
Rostock
Original Title:
Promotionsstelle in der Biologische Ozeanografie
Salary:
Profession:
PhD position in Biological Oceanography
PhD position in Biological Oceanography
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The IOW is an independent research institute of the Leibniz Association, for which equal opportunities, family friendliness and work-life balance are of great importance. Our research focuses on coastal and marginal seas, especially the Baltic Sea. The employees of the four sections Physical Oceanography and Measurement Technology, Marine Chemistry, Biological Oceanography and Marine Geology work in an interdisciplinary manner within the framework of a joint research program.
Background to the project
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming increasingly common in the Baltic Sea and can have serious effects on the ecosystem, marine biodiversity and human health. This project focuses on two species: the dinoflagellate Alexandrium pseudogonyaulax, which is currently spreading from west to east in the Baltic Sea, and the haptophyte Prymnesium parvum, which caused a mass fish mortality in the Oder River in 2022.
This position is part of a large, multi-researcher project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and focuses on studying the impact of harmful algal blooms on the biodiversity of coexisting marine communities. The biodiversity of plankton and metazoan communities will be assessed using in situ image recognition technologies (Imaging FlowCytobot) and high-throughput sequencing of samples from research cruises and field campaigns (plankton and environmental DNA metabarcoding). In addition, the occurrence and distribution of the resting stages of these HAB species are investigated using sediment samples.
The project is carried out in collaboration with the Plankton Ecology Project Group at the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB)/Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the Ecological Chemistry Section (https://www.awi.de/en/science/biosciences/ecological-chemistry.html) at the AWI.
Tasks:
You will participate in research cruises on the Baltic Sea to collect water, plankton and sediment samples for this project. You will then be responsible for the molecular biology laboratory work to prepare the samples for sequencing and to analyze the metabarcoding data in collaboration with project partners. Bioinformatic and statistical analyses will be performed using command-line based programs such as R and Python. You will present the results of these studies in manuscripts, project reports and presentations at international conferences, and at the end you will write a dissertation on them.
Requirements:
- A Master of Science (MSc.) in environmental/natural sciences, marine biology or a related discipline.
- Very good English skills and the ability to work in an international interdisciplinary team are essential.
- Willingness to participate in ship-based field work (up to 3 weeks), experience with research cruises is an advantage.
- Experience with molecular laboratory work and molecular genetic analysis.
- Strong interest in programming and command-line based programs.
- Expert knowledge in phytoplankton ecology, marine metazoan taxonomy and marine fauna is ideal, but not a requirement.
Benefits:
The IOW offers you a varied workplace in the immediate vicinity of the Baltic Sea (“working by the sea”) with flexible working arrangements, for example the option of working from home and opportunities to gain qualifications in the English language. A very good infrastructure with modern laboratory and office equipment, including on our own research vessel, provide the framework for the best working conditions.
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