1. CANCOR (Carbon and nitrogen fixation in coral reefs - 2 PhD opportunities):
Several key coral reef C-fixing primary producers (e.g. corals, other invertebrates, macro and turf algae) and substrates (e.g. reef sands, dead coral and rocky surfaces), exhibit internal or external association with N-fixing microbes like cyanobacteria. Such association potentially
facilitates primary production and growth, but there are no studies that address linkage of C- and N-fixation in coral reef organisms and their reefs and the controlling environmental factors.
Position A: C fixation in coral reefs
This new research project, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), will quantify C- fixation of key reef primary producers, and how this contributes to overall reef C- fixation. Additionally, the influence of key environmental factors (e.g. light and inorganic nutrient availability, temperature, acidity) on these processes, both on the organism and ecosystem level, will be examined. This comprehensive dataset will help to gain new important insights in coral reef ecosystem functioning and resilience in a time of environmental change. The work
for this project will be carried out at the Red Sea and in the ZMT laboratories. The appointment is for a three-year period. Salary will be according to the German TV-L 13 for a half-time position.
Position B: N fixation in coral reefs
This research project will quantify N- fixation of key reef primary producers, and how this contributes to overall reef N- fixation and is linked to C-fixation. Additionally, the influence of key environmental factors (e.g. light and inorganic nutrient availability, temperature,
acidity) on these processes, both on the organism and ecosystem level, will be examined. This comprehensive dataset will help to gain new important insights in coral reef ecosystem functioning and resilience in a time of environmental change. The work for this project will be
carried out at the Red Sea and in the ZMT laboratories. The appointment is for a three-year period. Salary will be according to the German TV-L 13 for a half-time position.
2. Coral reef adaptation strategies to carbonate chemistry changes along the Costa Rican Pacific coast (1 PhD opportunity) :
This project addresses the issue of ocean acidification caused by anthropogenic emissions of CO_2 in the atmosphere. Many experiments have shown that calcification of scleractinian corals declines with increasing CO_2 concentration. The Costa Rican Pacific coast is partly affected by corrosive waters that well up along the coast and periodically expose reefs to pH values lower than usual and similar to those expected in a high CO_2 world of the future. With this project, we are interested to study the impact of upwelling on the metabolism of calcifying reef organisms and the adaptation of coral reefs to natural changes in seawater chemical composition. The work will be carried out in Costa Rica and in the ZMT laboratories in close cooperation with the Systems Ecology Group, the Carbon and Nutrient Cycle Group of the ZMT, and the University of Costa Rica in San Jose. The appointment is for a three-year period. Salary will be according to the German TV-L 13 for a half-time position.
3. BIOCORE (Biogeochemical Interactions Of Coral Reef Ecosystem engineers, 1 PhD opportunity) :
Scleractinian corals and reef sponges fulfill key ecosystem engineering functions in tropical coral reef ecosystems, not only due to their high benthic coverage on the exposed (corals) and cryptic (sponges) reef framework compartments, but especially by substantially influencing reef
biogeochemical element cycles. Corals continuously release large amounts of energy-rich organic matter into reef waters. However, our knowledge on the utilization of this energy source is largely limited to microbial degradation processes only. Reef sponges and their associated microbial community (i.e. sponge holobiont) take up large amounts of organic matter of still unknown origin and exhibit massive cell shedding, i.e. a constant release of particulate organic matter, suggesting the induction of a significant recycling ?sponge loop? for bulk and coral-derived organic matter within the reef ecosystem. BIOCORE will conduct integrated laboratory and in-situ stable isotope pulse-chase experiments to follow, in a qualitative and quantitative way, the cycling of coral-derived organic matter within coral reef biogeochemical element cycles and in particular the suggested ?sponge loop? induced by the sponge holobiont. The work for this project will be carried out at the Red Sea and in the ZMT laboratories. The appointment is for a three-year period. Salary will be according to the German TV-L 13 for a half-time position.
Starting Date:
March/April 2012 (all 4 positions)
Requirements:
Applicants should hold a Master or Diploma degree in marine biology, ecology, geobiology or related fields and should ideally have experience with coral reef ecology and physiology. They should also fluently speak English and possess good scientific writing skills. A SCUBA diving
license and the proven ability to successfully write scientific publications is an additional asset.
Application:
To apply, please send a motivation letter describing why you are the perfect candidate for the specific announcement and how your research concept looks like, a complete CV with list of publications and skills, and names with email addresses and phone numbers of two referees in a
single pdf-file to the address below. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.
Closing Date (all 4 positions):
January 31, 2012 or until qualified candidates are identified. The Leibniz-ZMT GmbH is an equal opportunity employer. Disabled persons with comparable qualification receive preferential status.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Christian Wild
Coral Reef Ecology Group (CORE),
Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology
Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Tel: +49 (0) 421-23800-114
Email: christian.wild@ zmt-bremen. de
Please quote 10 Academic Resources Daily in your application to this opportunity!
