This vacancy is the result of the collaboration between Utrecht University and NIOZ. The Department of Coastal Systems (COS) at NIOZ (Texel) are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate holding a master’s degree in ecology, biology, marine geology or earth science. Experience with analyzing habitat use and spatial data are a plus.

The project
Intertidal ecosystems, like the Wadden Sea, provide rich habitats for shellfish, worms, fish, and millions of shorebirds, but are threatened by sea-level rise. While sea level rise may partly be compensated by increased sedimentation, sediment-composition can change, which may lead to cascading effects in the intertidal ecosystem. In this project, the candidate will quantify relations between bathymetry, sedimentology, and benthic communities. Specifically, the project will consist of three parts: 1) project the effects of sea level rise on sediment characteristics for different IPCC scenarios, 2) model contemporary habitat associations between macrozoobenthos and sediment characteristics and/or bathymetry, and 3) combine the former two parts and project the effects of sea level rise on the spatial distribution and abundances of macrozoobenthos. By capitalizing on recent morphological advances and a NIOZ time-series for benthos (SIBES), this research creates a unique opportunity for an ecosystem-wide understanding of how sea level rise affects intertidal systems. Within the project their will be close collaboration with another NIOZ-PhD project focussed on understanding how effects of sea level rise on macrozoobenthic communities cascade further up the food chain to shorebirds that forage for macrozoobenthic prey on intertidal mudflats.

The candidate
We are looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate holding a MSc degree in ecology, biology, marine geology, or earth science. Experience with analyzing habitat use and spatial data are a plus. The candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary team with ecologists and geomorphologists, and is expected to perform research at both locations. Due to the international character of our research, good command of English, spoken as well as written, is a prerequisite.

Fixed-term contract: We offer a position for a period of 1 year (fulltime). At the end of this first year, the employment will be extended for a fixed-term of a maximum of 4 years, if the first year evaluation held with the employee is positive.

Employment of this position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research). We offer a position for a period of 4 years (fulltime). We offer a position for a period of 1 year (fulltime). At the end of this first year, the employment will be extended for a fixed-term of a maximum of 4 years, if the first year evaluation held with the employee is positive. The salary is compliant to the CAO-OI (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes), a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8,3%, flexible work arrangements and arrangements and 42 days of holiday leave (fulltime position).

University of Utrecht and NIOZ

University of Utrecht
The Faculty of Geosciences at UU offers education and research concerning the geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere. With a population of 2,600 students (BSc and MSc) and 600 staff, the Faculty is a strong and challenging organization. The Faculty is organized in four Departments: Innovation, Environmental & Energy Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, and Human Geography & Spatial Planning. The Department of Earth Sciences conducts teaching and research across the full range of the solid Earth and environmental Earth sciences, with activities in almost all areas of geology, geochemistry, geophysics, biogeology and hydrogeology. The Department hosts a highly international group of more than 100 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers and houses a wide variety of world-class laboratories.

NIOZ
NIOZ is the national oceanographic institute and principally performs academically excellent multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier applied marine research addressing important scientific and societal questions pertinent to the functioning of oceans and seas. Second, NIOZ serves as national marine research facilitator (NMF) for The Netherlands scientific community. Third, NIOZ stimulates and supports multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier applied marine research, education and marine policy development in the national and international context.
The department of COS studies integral coastal ecosystems and their populations of fish, birds, and other marine animals in the North Sea and Wadden Sea as well as on a global scale. The department focuses on key physical, chemical and biological processes that determine the productivity and the ecological functioning of coastal areas. The coastal system is studied as a unity by considering the interrelations between the key compartments of the ecosystem (water, sediment, microalgae, macro zoobenthos, parasites, fish and birds).