[Coral-List] Funded PhD project available (reef palaeoecology)

[CHRIS PERRY]

Fully-funded PhD project (MMU CASE with Natural History Museum, London)
 
Coral community response to long-term light and sediment stress: 
palaeoecological records of reef development in turbid-zone, 
inner-shelf environments, central Great Barrier Reef, Australia
 
Applications are sought from suitably qualified candidates for a fully-funded MMU-Natural
History Museum (London) CASE PhD Studentship to work on a project examining the long-term
response of coral reefs to terrestrial sediment influence.  The student will develop a
high resolution palaeoecological record of coral community development within late
Holocene turbid-zone nearshore reefs along the central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) coastline,
Australia. These nearshore reefs are perceived to have been subjected to the negative
effects of elevated sediment and nutrient yields that have followed European settlement
(since ~1850) and landuse change in the North Queensland coastal catchments. The project
will build upon preliminary work that indicates stable coral community structures through
the period of European settlement at several nearshore reef sites. The student will
receive training in reef framework analysis, and in coral taxonomy and species
identification, and apply this training to address questions relating to coral community
structure and reef palaeoecology along the nearshore GBR. Key reef-building species in
these settings will also be targeted for detailed work on coral growth rates and on
microarchitectural characteristics using high resolution SEM and CAT scanning techniques. 

 
The studentship (3 year bursary + fees) is available to UK and EU candidates.
 
For an informal discussion about the project contact Dr Chris Perry Tel:  0161 247 6210,
E-mail: c.t.perry at mmu.ac.uk
 
For further details see:    http://www.dri.mmu.ac.uk/studentships/
 
Closing date for applications: Monday 28th May 2007
 
 
 
 
Dr Chris Perry
Reader in Environmental Sedimentology
Dept. of Environmental & Geographical Sciences
Manchester Metropolitan University,
John Dalton Building,
Chester Street,
Manchester,
M1 5GD

Tel: +44 (0)161 247 6210
Fax: +44 (0)161 247 6318
Skype: chris.perry67

Tropical Coastal and Marine Research page:
http://www.egs.mmu.ac.uk/users/cperry/Tropicalcoastal/tcmr-home.html 
Earth System Science Research Group: http://www.egs.mmu.ac.uk/users/ess/index.htm 

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