[Coral-List] New announcements for 4 PhD positions at ZMT Bremen

Malik Naumann malik.naumann at zmt-bremen.de
Thu Jan 5 05:08:39 EST 2012


Dear colleagues,

Currently, I am looking for 4 PhD candidates to fill below positions in 
my group at ZMT:

The Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT) GmbH in Bremen is a 
member of the Leibniz Association, which is supported by the German 
Federal and State Governments. Through its research, Leibniz-ZMT GmbH 
contributes to developing science-based strategies for sustainable use 
of tropical coastal systems (www.zmt-bremen.de). The Coral Reef Ecology 
Group (CORE) at ZMT has vacancies for 4 PhD students within the 
following 3 new projects:

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 at zmt-bremen.de


-- 
Prof. Dr. Christian Wild
Marine Ecology

Faculty for Biology & Chemistry at University of Bremen
and Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology (ZMT)
Fahrenheitstrasse 6
D - 28359 Bremen
Germany

Tel : (00)49-(0)421-23800-114
Fax : (00)49-(0)421-23800-30

web : www.zmt-bremen.de
mail: christian.wild at zmt-bremen.de

Sitz der Gesellschaft: Bremen
Registergericht: Amtsgericht Bremen
Handelsregister Nr. HRB 25746 HB
Steuer-Nr. 71/607/12036
USt.-IdNr. DE 266278207

Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates:
Dr. Walter Dörhage

Geschäftsführerin:
Prof. Dr. Hildegard Westphal



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