The Department Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, Royal NIOZ, Yerseke) is looking for a highly motivated Postdoc with expertise and a keen interest in coastal hydrodynamics to work on our NWO/ENW project “The Dutch Wadden Sea as an event-driven system: long-term consequences for exchange (LOCO-EX)”. In this project, we analyze results of new long-term numerical simulations of the hydrodynamics to unravel the effects of the variability in the forcing on the exchange and transport in the Dutch Wadden Sea.

The Project

The Wadden Sea is the largest back barrier tidal system in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site because of its ecological significance. A key governing component of the overall system is the exchange of water, salt, nutrients, sediment, larvae, etc. between basins and with the North Sea. Recently, we have shown that the nature of this exchange is very different than previously thought due to the dominant role of the wind, which imposes an enormous variability, with storms having a disproportionately high impact. This view of the Wadden Sea as an event-driven system means that understanding and quantifying the exchanges and transports requires the inclusion of a wide range of forcing conditions over a long time span. In this project, we investigate the exchange between the tidal basins and the North Sea for a 35-year period in the Dutch Wadden Sea.

The postdoc will develop and apply new tools to quantify the exchange, the flushing characteristics of the basins, and the connectivity in the system, accounting for its event-driven character, and will analyze results of new long-term numerical simulations of the hydrodynamics to link the variability in the forcing to the exchange and transport in the region. This will provide a comprehensive view of the variability in the state of the system and in the exchanges at a wide range of time scales.

The project is carried out in collaboration with the Department of Applied Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology and the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research (IOW), Warnemünde, Germany.

Applicants must have a PhD degree, or aim to submit their PhD thesis for assessment by spring 2020, with a background in (coastal) physical oceanography, fluid dynamics, or coastal civil engineering. Affinity with numerical models and analysis of large datasets is essential as are good collaborative skills and proven abilities to publish and present at a high international level. The starting date is 1 June 2020, or earlier.

Fixed-term contract: 3 years.

We offer a postdoctoral position of 3 years (fulltime), a pension scheme, a yearly 8% vacation allowance, 42 days of holiday leave (for a full-time appointment) 8,3 % year-end bonus and flexible employment conditions. Advanced training opportunities are available. Conditions are based on the Collective Labour Agreement of Research Centers. Cost of relocation and help with housing is provided by Royal NIOZ.

National Institute

The department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke) explores how the interplay between benthic organisms, water flow, and sedimentation shapes the physical environment as well as the habitats that can support diverse natural communities. Central to our department is a multidisciplinary approach that combines state-of-the-art biophysical measurements, remote sensing, laboratory and field experiments, with mathematical and numerical modelling to create in-depth understanding of the processes that form estuarine, delta and coastal systems.