This project is part of the NWO Vidi grant recently awarded to Rob Middag, “Trace metals and the Arctic-Atlantic gateway in a changing world, local processes and global connections (MetalGate)”. In this project we will investigate the cycling of iron and its isotopes as well as other bio-active metals in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian-Sea region, the main gateway between the Arctic and Atlantic Ocean. We will combine trace metal and isotopic measurements with temperature controlled bio-assays at ecologically relevant conditions and develop sampling techniques to study the processes and interactions in the benthic boundary layer.

The project will be focused around an expedition aboard our research vessel ‘Pelagia’ to the high latitude North Atlantic and the seas surrounding Iceland where we will use the NIOZ Titan sampling and CTD system for trace metals as well as state-of-the- art temperature-controlled deck incubators. Prior to the expedition, a new trace metal clean sampler for sampling of the benthic boundary layer will be developed and tested together with experienced NIOZ technicians. The expedition will be a GEOTRACES process study and various international collaborators will be involved.

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a PhD in chemical oceanography or a related area with proven ability to publish research in international peer reviewed journals. You have experience in marine trace metal sampling and analysis, and experience with iron isotope analysis is of advantage. Participation in an oceanographic research expedition is an essential part of the project and due to the international character of the research team, it is crucial you are proficient in spoken and written English.

Your position will be hosted by the Department of Ocean Systems (OCS) at the Royal NIOZ on the isle of Texel.

Fixed-term contract: 3 jaar.

Employment of this position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research). We offer a position for 3 (fulltime) years with an excellent salary, a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus, and flexible work arrangements. You may expect attractive secondary employment conditions. We offer generous relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation.

Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research is the largest research institute of the Dutch Research Council. As the national oceanographic institute, it has been conducting seagoing research for over 140 years, addressing important scientific and social issues with regard to the way in which oceans and seas function. In addition, NIOZ maintains seagoing equipment and vessels for the Dutch scientific community, it contributes to innovative, multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier applied sea research, as well as to education and policy making on a national and international level. Since 2012, NIOZ has been operating from two locations, employing a permanent staff of approximately 50 scientists, as part of a staff of approximately 180 permanent and 120 temporary employees. The main establishment is based on Texel (TX) and a branch institute in located in Yerseke (YE). For more information, please visit www.nioz.nl.

Researchers in the Department Ocean System Research (OCS) study open-ocean processes from a variety of disciplines, ranging from physical and chemical oceanography, marine geology, paleoceanography to deep-sea ecology. We investigate the oceans in the past and present, to assess their future role. We make use of experiments and data collection during sea-going oceanographic research, as well as laboratory experiments and analyses in our home base on Texel. The department works around the globe, from the Antarctic to the Arctic, from the Caribbean to the North Sea. One of the areas we work in is the North Atlantic Ocean.

Researchers within OCS focus on the biogeochemical cycles of trace elements and their isotopes (TEI’s) in the global ocean and are active in the International GEOTRACES program. Many trace elements are essential for marine life and as such influence ocean ecosystems and the global carbon cycle. Advances in sampling and innovative analytical techniques make it possible to study the cycles of TEI’s at unprecedented scale and in ever more detail. Specifically for iron, it is not only apparent that this micro-nutrient plays a pivotal role in the ocean, but also that the cycle of iron is changing due to ongoing climate change. However, our current understanding of the marine iron cycle still does not allow reliable biogeochemical modelling to predict and evaluate the consequences of these changes. Particularly processes such as biological metal uptake, remineralization and dissolved-particle interactions in both the water column and benthic boundary layer are not sufficiently understood, nor the susceptibility of these processes to change.