The growing human population requires sustainable food and energy supply, which puts pressure on the marine environment. This will influence primary and secondary production and may propagate up through the food web to higher trophic levels. In the North Sea, the key link between planktonic production and top predators are the so-called forage fish, including herring, sprat, and sandeel. This vacancy is part of the forage fish project that studies the feedbacks, role and importance of sandeels for top predators.
LOCATION: ROYAL NIOZ – TEXEL (THE NETHERLANDS)
VACANCY ID: 2021-39
CLOSING DATE: Extended until March 10th, 2022
THE DEPARTMENT
The Departments of COS and EDS study coastal ecosystems and their populations of fish, birds and other marine animals in the North and Wadden Seas as well as on a global scale. The departments focus on key physical, chemical and biological processes that determine the productivity and the ecological functioning of coastal areas. The coastal system is studied as a unit by considering the interrelations between the key compartments of the ecosystem (water, sediment, microalgae, macrozoobenthos, parasites, fish, birds and marine mammals).
THE PROJECT
The growing human population requires sustainable food and energy supply, which puts pressure on the marine environment. This will influence primary and secondary production and may propagate up through the food web to higher trophic levels. In the North Sea, the key link between planktonic production and top predators are the so-called forage fish, including herring, sprat, and sandeel. This vacancy is part of the forage fish project that studies the feedbacks, role and importance of sandeels for top predators.
The project will study how sandeel distribution is shaped by abiotic covariates (sediment, depth and temperature), food availability (zooplankton production) and predator distributions. It is meant to embed these relationships into a 3D ecosystem model (ERSEM-BFM), enabling simulations of how lower-level changes in habitat and productivity might propagate to higher trophic levels. To do so seasonal changes in distribution, feeding and burying behaviour of sandeel needs to be captured in models.
THE VACANCY
The postdoc will first investigate and model seasonal differences in behaviour and dynamic energy budget of sandeel, and then implement sandeel biology and productivity in a population-type model before implementation in the ERSEM-BFM ecosystem model, using results from other parts of the project. The postdoc will use 1D and 3D applications to the north-west European continental shelf to run hindcasts of physical, biogeochemical and ecological variables, including sandeel biomass. The results will be analysed for inter-annual variability and driving factors influencing the sandeel population. A sensitivity study will be carried out to further understand which factors drive the sandeel population carrying capacity and how predation or other sources of mortality, may alleviate density dependent competition among the surviving sandeel. The postdoc will publish the work in 3-4 peer-reviewed journal papers. The preferred start date is the first three months of 2022.
THE CANDIDATE
You have a PhD in a strongly quantitative biological science, or in a physical science (physics, mathematics or oceanography), combined with experience in marine science, ecology and biology. You are a good programmer, preferably with experience in Fortran and Python, and have a solid background in numerical modelling. Knowledge of parallel computing in Linux, biogeochemistry and/or fish ecology are an advantage. Affinity with ecological processes and functioning, including Dynamic Energy Budget concepts and models, is also desirable. You are able to understand, develop and apply existing complex community models/software as part of a small team that works within a wider community of developers/users/researchers. As such, you can work independently on your own research, while contributing to the goals of the team and the community, and collaborating with field scientists. You are not afraid to ask questions, and seek support when needed. You have presented your work at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals, and will continue to do so as part of this project.
CONDITIONS
Employment of this position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO (The Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research). We offer a position for a period of approximately 3 years (full time). The salary is compliant to the CAO-OI (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes), a pension scheme, a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, a year-end bonus of 8,3% of the gross annual salary, flexible work arrangements and 42 days of holiday leave (full time position).
You may expect attractive secondary employment conditions. We offer generous relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation.
Royal NIOZ is located on the beautiful island Texel. Texel offers sun, wind and beach, and a diverse but moderate level of facilities, including a thriving tourist industry, shops, sports facilities, primary schools and a high school. It is connected to the main land by an hourly to half-hourly ferry service, with crossings taking 20 minutes. The Royal NIOZ is situated next to the ferry terminal.
MORE INFORMATION
Please apply online at www.workingatnioz.com For additional information about this vacancy, please contact dr. Johan van der Molen (sr. scientist and supervisor) or dr. Rob Witbaard (project leader of the forage fish project).
For additional information about the procedure, please contact Mylene Lormans (sr. HR advisor).
Please visit the Department of Coastal Sciences here.
We strive for our workforce to reflect diversity in society, including in terms of age, gender and cultural background. We therefore appreciate it when candidates apply who can increase the diversity of NIOZ. We also highly encourage applicants from all members of our community and of diverse background, including LGBTIQ+ communities, to join us.
Closing date for applications: March 10, 2022. Please note: job interviews are foreseen for the week of 11-14 April, if possible on Texel, but otherwise online.
For further information, please follow this link.