PhD position on Benthic microalgae and blue carbon burial

Curious and interested to help solve the climate emergency? Join us in our search to better understand the potential for carbon burial and cycling in seagrass sediments as it relates to natural pathways of aiding in carbon sequestration by coastal ecosystems.

Your job
The Department of Earth Sciences is looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate with an MSc background in Earth, Environmental or Marine Sciences or other appropriate fields. You will work on the project: Benthic microalgae and blue carbon: Investigating the role of microphytobenthos in the retention of seagrass-derived organic matter.

Blue carbon is the carbon captured by the world’s oceans and coastal ecosystems. Seagrass meadows are productive coastal ecosystems with the potential to store substantial quantities of organic carbon in sediments. While detrital inputs and belowground biomass are considered the primary sources of sedimentary carbon stocks in seagrass meadows, less is known about the exudation of dissolved (DOM) and particulate organic matter (POM) by seagrasses and to what degree this contributes to carbon burial in these systems.

This project will examine the role of microphytobenthos (MPB) in facilitating the retention and transformation of seagrass-exuded DOM and POM into mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM), a process which can facilitate long-term carbon storage. Thus, MPB may enhance MAOM formation via modifications to sedimentary redox reactions and sediment stabilisation, providing microenvironments favorable for organic matter preservation.

We invite applicants to share their motivation and appeal to this project in their application.

A personalised training programme will be set up, reflecting your training needs and career objectives. About 20% of your time will be dedicated to this training component, which includes following courses/workshops as well as training on the job in assisting in the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes of the department at Utrecht University.

We seek candidates who are motivated about the research, take initiative to develop ideas, self-driven and can work independently and with a team. Applicants should hold a MSc degree in Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Marine Sciences or a related discipline by the time the position starts. Furthermore, you have:

• Experience conducting experiments and performing analytical sample processing (lab work);
• A theoretical background in marine environmental physiology and biogeochemistry;
• Willingness to experiment with new data collection;
• Excellent communication skills.

Due to the international character of our research, good command of spoken and written English is essential. We highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse backgrounds to join us.

We offer:

• a position (1.0 FTE) for 1 year, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.059 and €3.881 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.

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. Our key research themes are Earth & Planetary Processes, Sustainable Use of the Subsurface, Planetary Health & Environment, and Climate & Life. The department hosts a highly international tenured staff of over 50 scientists and more than 110 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. We house or have access to a wide variety of world-class laboratories, among which are UU’s Electron Microscopy Centre, the Geolab, and the Earth Simulation Lab. We also have excellent High- Performance Computing facilities.

About Utrecht
The department and its facilities are located at Utrecht Science Park. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands with a population of nearly 360,000 and forms a hub in the middle of the country. Its historical city centre and its modern central station can easily be reached from the Science Park by public transport or by a 15-minute bicycle ride. Utrecht boasts beautiful canals with extraordinary wharf cellars housing cafés and terraces by the water, as well as a broad variety of shops and boutiques.

For informal information (not for application) about this position, please contact Dr Cale Miller at c.a.miller@uu.nl

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.