Research Associate in Biological Oceanography
Research Associate in Biological Oceanography
Heriot-Watt University
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Detailed Description
The successful candidate will be part of the Ocean Carbon-And-Nutrient-Dynamics (Ocean-CANDY) research group at the Lyell Centre, working on the UKRI (NERC) funded project ‘Enhanced carbon export driven by internal tides over the mid-Atlantic ridge (CarTRidge)’ with Prof. Alex Poulton. CarTRidge is a multidisciplinary project examining how turbulence influences plankton living deep in the photic zone in the subtropical South Atlantic ocean.
The candidate will investigate how plankton abundance, composition, physiology and growth / grazing-induced mortality, photosynthesis and nutrient uptake vary with short-term, cyclic changes in light and nutrient availability. This includes making rate measurements of carbon and nitrogen uptake, incubation experiments to examine growth and grazing rates, and discrete sampling for plankton enumeration. The candidate will examine whether increased light and nutrient availability leads to increased growth and productivity or increased grazing losses.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Enumerate plankton abundances and species composition using flow cytometry, light and scanning electron microscopy;
- Measure carbon and nitrate uptake of deep photic communities using stable isotopes;
- Perform dilution experiments to measure phytoplankton growth and micro-zooplankton grazing;
- Co-supervise team members (doctoral students, project manager);
- Collaborate with national and international project partners towards the overall goals of the CarTRidge project;
- Write and publish articles in peer-reviewed journals highlighting the key findings from the research, and present research findings at conferences, and project and programme meetings;
Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve. A flexible working schedule may be required to meet all of the key duties and responsibilities.
Education, Qualifications and Experience (i.e. Person Specification)
Essential
- PhD degree in a relevant field (marine ecology, biological oceanography, or similar);
- Experience of flow cytometry to determine of plankton abundance and composition;
- Experience of identifying plankton species through light and scanning microscopy;
- Knowledge of plankton ecology and ocean biogeochemistry;
- Experience of statistical analysis of community composition using multivariate techniques, either via E-PRIMER software or the R programming language;
- Track record of peer-reviewed published work and conference presentations as appropriate for career stage;
- Ability and desire to work in a closely interacting team, but also independently as required by the specific tasks involved in delivering the work;
- Good communication and scientific writing skills; proficiency in English.
Desirable
- Sea-going experience and standard oceanographic sampling (CTD, underway), with a willingness to participate in a 6-week open ocean cruise in early 2025;
- Experience and/or knowledge of using stable isotopes to determine photosynthetic rates (13C) and nitrate uptake (15N);
- Experience and/or knowledge of running dilution experiments to determine phytoplankton growth rates and micro-zooplankton grazing;
- Experience and/or knowledge of using variable fluorescence techniques and instruments (e.g., FRRf, LabSTAF, PAM) to explore phytoplankton photo-physiology and productivity;
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