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IC25

The DFG-funded International Research Training Group INTERCOAST in a collaborative initiative with the Universities of Bremen (Germany) and Waikato (New Zealand) offers a

PhD position (66% TVL-13)

in the area of marine biology in the framework of the project IC25:

The ecology of natural vs. artificial hard substrata in the coastal environment: Substrate characteristics as facilitator of settlement and community stability

The German Bight and the Bay of Plenty experience an increasing introduction of artificial hard substrata e.g. for coastal protection and harbor constructions, provoking a change from a predominantly sedimentary environment towards extensive rock-like coastlines. These substrata offer new habitats to benthic communities. The consolidation of the coastline allows for a new connectivity of marine communities but is also considered to create invasion hotspots that facilitate the establishment of non-indigenous species in coastal waters, with largely unknown consequences for local ecosystem function and biodiversity. As the significance of artificial vs. natural hard substrata is largely unexplored this proposal aims to ecologically characterize and evaluate these structures. We will estimate the establishment & productivity of benthic communities (macroalgae & invertebrates), and their sensitivity towards predicted environmental changes in order to define how the morphological and functional shift of the coastal habitats relates to improve ecological descriptors for the ecological state of coastal waters. By this we will answer the following research questions: How do characteristics of natural vs. artificial substrates affect the establishment of benthic macroalgal and evertebrate communities? How significant are artificial substrates as stepping stones for biological invadors?

We are searching for an enthusiastic and dynamic young researcher who is interested in joining a multidisciplinary research team. Very good written and oral English language skills are required because the studies will be carried in Germany and New Zealand. The applicant is expected to stay in New Zealand for extended periods and will have to participate in field campaigns.

Requirements:

Completed MSc or Diploma degree in Marine Biology or Botany or Zoology;
Knowledge of standard methods applied in plant and benthic invertebrate taxonomy, plant physiology, like e.g. PAM fluorescence & polarographic oxygen measurements;
Experience in conducting field experiments, in biochemical analyses, as well as aquaria maintenance will be advantageous.

The position is limited to a term of up to 3 years and funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG) with a salary 66% TVL-13.

Applicants should submit under the reference number A128/15 (IC25) their letter of motivation, a CV including copies of diplomas, a publication list if applicable, and contact information for referees. Documents should be submitted electronically as a pdf document (maximum size 2MB) to Prof. Dr. Katrin Huhn (khuhn@uni-bremen.de) and Prof. Dr. Kai Bischof (kbischof@uni-bremen.de).

The positions should be filled as the nearest possible date. The deadline for the application is 31st July 2015 or until the positions are filled.

Further enquiries can be addressed to

Prof. Dr. Kai Bischof
Meeresbotanik, Universität Bremen
Leobener Straße, NW2
28359 Bremen
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