PhD position: Offshore wind farms biofouling & plankton interactions

Are you interested in how biofouling in offshore windfarms affects plankton communities?
We are looking for a motivated PhD candidate to join our research team on biofouling with a focus on understanding how the structure and functioning of epifauna communities affects plankton in water passing trough offshore wind farms (OWFs) in the North Sea.

Key responsibilities:

• Investigate how community structure and feeding strategies change under climate change and by OWFs;
• Conduct field surveys from research vessels, lab incubations and feeding experiments, quantification of biogeochemical fluxes and monitoring of settlement plates on landers.
• Integrate empirical data into conceptual models;
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present them at national and international conferences;
• Contribute to a vibrant and inclusive research culture within the research group;
• Mentor BSc/MSc students.

About your No-REGRETS subproject
Your research will focus on the benthic community food web and investigate the interaction of OWFs biofouling communities and plankton in the North Sea. The development of OWFs introduces significant amounts of artificial hard substrates, into environments that mostly consist of soft sediments. These structures create surfaces for marine fouling communities to establish, attracting a variety of epifauna species.

The introduction of OWFs also changes local food webs. The shift in species composition and the way organic matter is processed alters ecosystem dynamics. Most of the organisms that attach to these structures feed by filtering particles from the water, including phytoplankton and zooplankton. This could alter primary productivity and change the settlement of planktonic larvae. By removing organic and inorganic materials from the water, these communities influence the functioning of the seabed ecosystem. Filter feeders may compete with pelagic grazers such as copepods and juvenile fish, which rely on the same zooplankton for food. Little is known about the extent of this overlap or the broader, long-term effects.

You will study the feeding preferences of three dominant fouling species groups—blue mussels, amphipods, and anemones—by offering them mixed wild plankton and using manual counts and advanced imaging tools to quantify plankton consumption. This will help assess potential competition with zooplankton communities.

OWFs also alter water flow, vertical mixing, and temperature distribution in the water column. Combined with the effects of climate change, this could shift temperature patterns and influence the feeding behaviour of fouling communities. You will explore these changes by studying mixed communities grown on experimental structures at different depths within OWFs. You will analyse these to understand how feeding strategies adapt under varying conditions and to determine their broader ecological impact across the North Sea.

• A Master’s degree (or will graduate before appointment date) in Biology, Marine Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or a related field with demonstrated experience in ecological field experiments and quantitative data analysis;
• Strong interest in Marine ecology and multidisciplinary research;
• Experience with sea going fieldwork and ecological experiments;
• A real team player, willing to work with a diverse group of researchers, technicians and project stakeholders with various backgrounds;
• Strong quantitative skills and preferably technical skills;
• Ability to work independently in a challenging environment;
• A proactive, inquisitive, enthusiastic, creative and self-reliant mind-set;
• Strongly motivated to obtain a PhD degree;
• Interested in getting involved in teaching;
• Excellent English language proficiency (a minimum of CEFR C2 level). For more information about this proficiency level, please visit our special language page.

You will work here
You will be part of Wageningen Marine Research (WMR), with Joop Coolen and Ninon Mavraki of theme team benthos as daily supervisors, and you are part of the Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Marine Ecology team led by Associate Professor Marjolijn Christianen at WUR. Your base will be WMR Den Helder, with fieldwork in the North Sea. Regular in-person meetings will take place in Den Helder and Wageningen.

WMR is an applied research institute with 3 locations (Den Helder, Ijmuiden and Yerseke) in the Netherlands. In Den Helder a broad group of scientists, analysts, field workers and students works on benthic ecology, seals, seabirds, bats and other species. Research area’s in Den Helder include coastal and offshore North Sea, tropics and (ant)arctic regions. In addition to ecological research, we advise the government regarding protection of species and habitats, pollution, and other anthropogenic interactions with ecology, and collaborate with industry, i.a. to study nature inclusive designs. Facilities in Den Helder in addition to offices, include a benthic lab, eco-analysis lab, climate rooms, mesocosms and algae culture facilities. Additionally we have an experimental hard substrate garden in the marina on the island of Texel. The NO-REGRETS project has a strong offshore data collection component and you are expected to take part in six 10-20 days scientific research cruises at sea, three times during 2 years (2026-2027). Additionally there may be further cruises in collaboration with the offshore wind industry.

Wageningen University & Research offers excellent terms of employment. A few highlights from our Collective Labour Agreement include:

• Partially paid parental leave;
• working hours that can be discussed and arranged so that they allow for the best possible work-life balance;
• there is a strong focus on vitality and you can make use of the sports facilities available on campus for a small fee;
• a fixed year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• excellent pension scheme.

In addition to these first-rate employee benefits, you will receive a fully funded PhD position and you will be offered a course program tailored to your needs and the research team.

The gross salary for the first year is € 2.901,- per month rising to € 3.707,- in the fourth year in according to the Collective Labour Agreements for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU) (scale P). This is based on a full-time working week of 38 hours. We offer a temporary contract for 18 months which will be extended for the duration of the project if you perform well.

Wageningen University & Research offers plenty of opportunities for growth and development, with a strong internal recruitment policy and excellent training programmes.

Coming from abroad
Wageningen University & Research is the university and research centre for life sciences. The themes we deal with are relevant to everyone around the world and Wageningen, therefore, has a large international community and a lot to offer to international employees.

Because we expect you to work and live in the Netherlands our team of advisors on Dutch immigration procedures will help you with the visa application procedures for yourself and, if applicable, for your family.

Feeling welcome also has everything to do with being well informed. We can assist you with any additional advice and information about for example helping your partner to find a job, housing, or schooling. Finally, certain categories of international staff may be eligible for a tax exemption on a part of their salary during the first five years in the Netherlands.

The mission of Wageningen University & Research is ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’.

We pursue this mission through a synergistic approach between Wageningen University and Wageningen Research Foundation (applied research). Our research focuses on questions within the domains of food, living environment, and society. With approximately 30 locations, 7,700 staff members, 2,500 PhD candidates, and over 13,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is among the world’s leading knowledge institutions in its domain. The integral approach to challenges and the collaboration across various disciplines form the core of the unique Wageningen approach.

Read the 5 reasons why your future colleagues enjoy working at WUR.

About the No-REGRETS project
This research is part of the multidisciplinary NO-REGRETS project, and involves a collaboration between Wageningen University & Research with the Royal NIOZ, TU Delft, UvA and multiple others. Further project partners involve NGO’s, Dutch government and the OWF industry.

Broadly, NO-REGRETS will generate and integrate knowledge on how OWFs and other activities may interact to cause: i) changes in physical dynamics of water currents, nutrient availability, plankton, benthic organisms and upper trophic levels (fish and mammals) to understand marine food web impacts, ii) changes in ecology at OWFs and other factors (e.g. changes in fisheries, and ongoing and future climate impacts), and iii) cumulative impacts on natural capital including ecosystem services. 12 PhD’s will work on this project. The PhDs with various backgrounds will actively collaborate.

We will recruit for the vacancy ourselves, so no employment agencies please. However, sharing in your network is appreciated.

For more information about this position, please contact Joop Coolen, senior scientist benthic ecology, joop.coolen@wur.nl, +31 (0)613005630, or Marjolijn Christianen, Associate Professor Marine Ecology, marjolijn.christianen@wur.nl.

For more information about the procedure, please contact Noorien Abbas, corporate recruiter, noorien.abbas@wur.nl

Ready to apply?
You can apply directly using the apply button on the vacancy page on our website which will allow us to process your personal information with your approval.
This vacancy will be listed up to and including Monday 23 June 2025. We aim to schedule the first job interviews on 8 July 2025.

Additional information form
For this position, you must fill in a mandatory form which will allow us to have a comprehensive view of your qualifications and better assess your fit for it. You can access the form using the link below:

https://forms.office.com/e/pUVuZTmeMF
Your prompt response will ensure that your application continues to move forward in the evaluation process. We assure you that the information provided will be kept confidential and used solely for this application process.

Procedure
As part of our selection process, an assessment may be incorporated within the procedure

Welcome, safe, and valued
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) highly values diversity and inclusion because we believe that different insights lead to innovative solutions. We create a work environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and appreciated, regardless of background, identity, or experience. Together, we are building a culture where everyone's unique contribution adds to the success of our organization.