A PhD position is available at the Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. The start date is 1 August 2023.
Project background
Freshwater lakes throughout the world are in poor condition, mainly due to decades of heavy nutrient pollution. The main cause of poor water quality is excess phosphorous (P), an essential nutrient for all living organisms, and it causes excessive phytoplankton growth, leading to poor water quality and loss of biodiversity in our lakes. In many lakes, artificial oxygenation is used to increase the sediment's P binding capacity, but knowledge on the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of such measures is often limited. In other lakes, a skewed fish balance or wind-driven re-suspension of sediments might keep lakes in a turbid state.
Qualifications
We are looking for an enthusiastic, self-driven and ambitious candidate with an MSc degree in biology. The candidate will be in charge of a two-year monitoring campaign in the deepest Danish Lake Fure and Lake Bagsværd. The two overall aims are to 1) understand how oxygenation of the deepest areas of Lake Fure affects the P release from the sediment, with the overall aim to evaluate the future management of this lake with respect to oxygenation, 2) study the mechanism behind the poor water quality in Lake Bagsværd, with a focus on whether P is being released from the sediment through passive diffusion, wind or fish mediated re-suspension. This will be conducted by detailed sediment core sampling to "ground truth" sonar data in addition to high-resolution water chemistry measurements. The candidate will be responsible for field trips, monitoring of seasonal changes in nutrients in the sediment and water column by various methods (e.g. modified sequential extraction protocols, diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT's)).
The PhD scholarship covers the area of aquatic ecology, bio-geochemistry, and chemistry and will be aligned with ongoing research at the Freshwater Ecology group at the Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark. The candidate will be part of a group working with P and carbon turnover and greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands, streams, and lakes, which will ensure a fruitful research environment.
Experience with freshwater ecology and good English language skills will be required. The main criterion for selection will be the research potential of the applicant, i.e. publications will be a strong asset. A driver's license is needed so please include documentation in the application.
Deadline: 18 April 2023.
Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk.