As part of a collaborative project between Utrecht University (UU) and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), we seek an enthusiastic candidate for a PhD position within the field of remote sensing of tidal systems. It is a position within the project 'Looking from space to the lower levels of the foodweb in wadden systems', awarded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
This project aims to monitor macrozoobenthos with remote sensing in intertidal systems. Tidal flats serve as a nursery area for fish and a staging area for migratory birds, for which availability of macrozoobenthos is crucial for their food security. The status of this low trophic layer of the food-web is considered indicative for the ecosystem quality. Sea-level rise and economic activities like shrimp fisheries and gas extraction interfere with the ecosystem functioning, making (seasonal) monitoring essential. This is complicated by the low accessibility of the flats and high labour intensity of field sampling. Remote sensing can overcome both, but faces its own challenge posed by the poor spectral characteristics of the flats. 

This project will search for innovative solutions in the combination of deep-learning techniques and object-based image analysis to identify the nature and dynamics of spatial patterns in benthic fauna.
Your research will include three parts. First, you will apply deep learning techniques to remote sensing images (UAV, Planet, Sentinel2) to optimize information extraction. Second, you will develop algorithms to link (seasonal) field observations on macrozoobenthos and their environmental preferences to the image information. Third, you will analyse time series of satellite images to catch the dynamics of macrozoobenthos. The newly developed non-destructive method allows for monitoring the seasonal and interannual dynamics of macrozoobenthos and the associated food security for fish and birds. 

You will focus on the temperate tidal system in the Dutch Wadden Sea and the tropical system of Barr Al Hikman in Oman. Several field campaigns to sample macrozoobenthos and sediment characteristics are part of your project, both in the Netherlands and in Oman. The campaigns will be supported by the highly-experienced field-technicians from NIOZ and the faculty’s Earth Simulation Laboratory (ESL).
The following team will support and supervise you: Dr Elisabeth Addink (daily supervisor, UU), Prof Katja Philippart (1st promotor, UU & NIOZ), Dr Wiebe Nijland (daily supervisor, UU) and Prof Steven de Jong (2nd promotor, UU). Utrecht University will be your home base with numerous stays at NIOZ during the Dutch field campaigns and the lab analyses.

Up to 10% of your time will be dedicated to assisting in the BSc and MSc teaching programmes of the Graduate School of Geosciences. The UU offers you a personalized training programme set up, mutually agreed on recruitment, to strengthen your research profile, adding skills and filling knowledge gaps. It will help you achieve your long-term career objectives as well as supplement and support the project-related research.

We are looking for a creative candidate with:

• an MSc degree in Earth Surface Processes, Physical Geography, Ecology, Data Science or a closely related discipline;
• knowledge of remote sensing and/or spatial data analysis;
• affinity with (ecological) fieldwork;
• a driver’s license;
• proficiency in English, both spoken and written;
• demonstrable organisational skills and the ability to work independently;
• a strong motivation to (learn how to) communicate your research in journal papers and international conferences;
• a keen interest in the outreach of your work outside of the academic setting (e.g. through stakeholder meetings);
• an enthusiastic mindset as a team player.

Our department has committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce, and we explicitly welcome women to apply.

You will be offered a full-time PhD position (1.0 FTE), initially for one year with an extension to a total of four years upon successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period. The gross salary starts with €2,395 per month in the first year and increases to €3,061 in the fourth year (scale P according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here.

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 societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

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 Physical Geography has the ambition to excel in research and education on BSc, MSc and PhD level. Its research focuses on processes, patterns and dynamics of Earth’s continental and coastal systems, and on the interaction between these processes. This knowledge is essential for the sustainable management of our planet and to guarantee the availability of resources for the next generations. Close cooperation with the department of Coastal Systems (NIOZ Texel) ensures the scientific knowledge and fieldwork expertise on ecology of wadden systems, including that of the Wadden Sea and Barr Al Hikman.