Background
The increase of anthropogenic underwater noise (AUN) through oil exploitation, shipping and the construction and operation of offshore wind farms has altered the marine acoustic environment significantly and is now a global challenge. AUN can harm a variety of taxa by impairing an individual’s physiology directly, as well as interfere with fitness relevant behaviours such as communication, orientation, predator avoidance and foraging, all potentially leading to increased mortality and decreased reproduction. Benthic and planktonic invertebrates play a key role as a dynamic link between lower and higher trophic levels in the world’s oceans. However, data on the effects of especially continuous AUN on these organisms are scarce, which impedes our predictive capabilities on the effects of AUN on ecosystem functioning and the services marine ecosystems provide.
The Project ORCHESTRA (ecOsystem Responses to Constant offsHorE Sound specTRA), funded within the framework of the JPI-Oceans joint action on Underwater Noise in the Marine Environment, will investigate the response of marine invertebrates to anthropogenic noise. The resulting data will be combined with information on local soundscapes and species abundances to identify in turn areas with the largest risks of being affected by AUN.
Tasks
- Carrying out literature surveys on the effects of
noise on aquatic invertebrates - Carrying out experiments investigating sound effects on selected invertebrates, both planktonic as well as benthic ones.
- Analysis of the soundscapes of selected coastal seas
- Data analysis and writing of publications
- Support the project management, including reporting
Requirements
- Ph.D. in Marine Sciences or other relevant subjects
- Strong affinity to experimental work
- Experience with the analysis of large and complex datasets
- Fluency in English
- Experience with work in large international teams
- Strong ability to communicate science, in publications, in presentations and in communication with the general public
- Excellent human skills
Further Information
Please contact Prof. Dr. Maarten Boersma (Maarten.Boersma@awi.de; +49 4725 8193350)) for further information.
This is a full-time position, limited to 3 years subject to the approval of third-party funds. It is also suitable for part-time employment. The salary will be paid in accordance with the Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Federation (Tarifvertrag des öffentlichen Dienstes, TVöD Bund), up to salary level 13. The place of employment will be Helgoland.
Postdocs have to register with AWI’s postdoc office PROCEED, thereby gaining access to a set of tailor-made career development tools.
The AWI is characterised by
- our scientific success – excellent research
- collaboration and cooperation – intra-institute, national and international, interdisciplinary
- opportunities to develop – on the job, aiming at other positions and beyond AWI
- a culture of reconciling work and family – an audited and well-supported aspect of our operation
- our outstanding research infrastructure – ships, stations, aircraft, laboratories and more
- an international environment – everyday contacts with people from all over the world
- having an influence – fundamental research with social and political relevance
- flat hierarchies – facilitating freedom and responsibility
- exciting science topics, with opportunities also in technology, administration and infrastructure
Equal opportunities are an integral part of our personnel policy. The AWI aims to increase the number of female employees and therefore strongly encourages qualified women to apply.
Disabled applicants will be given preference when equal qualifications are present.
The AWI fosters the compatibility of work and family in various ways and has received a number of awards as a result of this engagement.
We look forward to your application!
Please submit your application by December 22th 2022, exclusively online.
Reference number 22/182/D/Bio-b
Further information can be found here.