[Coral-List] PhD Studentship: Mapping Change in New Zealand’s Oceans using Deep Sea Corals

Dan Sinclair djsweb1971 at yahoo.com.au
Tue Jan 8 21:12:51 UTC 2019


We wish to announce an exciting PhD studentship to be held jointly at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), in affiliation with the Australian National University (ANU). 

This research seeks to study the changing oceans around New Zealand, from pre-anthropogenic to modern times, using deep sea corals as a natural archive of ocean circulation and productivity.

New Zealand is bathed by the waters of the vast South Pacific Gyre, resulting in a strong gradient in ocean conditions. Nutrient-depleted subtropical waters from the North mix with nutrient-rich subpolar waters from the South stimulating vast phytoplankton blooms that sustain a rich fishery. However, these waters are changing: an acceleration of the gyre is driving regional climate change and impacting marine primary productivity. This project will combine novel geochemical analysis of long-lived deep-sea corals from locations all around New Zealand with state-of-the-art ocean modelling to map New Zealand’s changing ocean dynamics from pre-industrial to modern times.

We seek a student with skills in geochemistry and numerical analysis, and a background in oceanography or earth sciences. The student will gain experience in a range of cutting-edge geoanalytical techniques and working with global climate/ocean biogeochemical models. The studentship will support a stipend, fees and all research costs, including travel to Australia to train in radiocarbon analysis, and overseas conferences and workshops. 

Applicants should apply to Dan Sinclair (dan.sinclair at vuw.ac.nz), sending a cover letter that includes a statement of research experience/interests, contact details of 3 academic referees, a curriculum vitae and a copy of current academic transcript (certified transcripts will be requested of short-listed candidates). Review of applications will begin early January 2019, with interviews scheduled for the last week of January. To be guaranteed consideration, applications should be received by Monday January 14th, but applications will continue to be accepted up until the position is filled.

About the Institutions: VUW is a vibrant research-strong university ranked #1 in the country for research excellence in Geology/Earth Sciences. It hosts a world-class geoanalytical laboratory, and leverages its position as a Capital City university to forge strong linkages with New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes (including NIWA). NIWA is New Zealand’s premier research organisation for environmental and ocean sciences and hosts cutting edge stable isotope facilities and one of the world’s largest collections of deep-sea corals. Wellington is the cosmopolitan capital of New Zealand and boasts a beautiful natural setting, from a picturesque waterfront, beaches, rocky coastline and bush covered hills. 

For more information, in the 1st instance contact Dan Sinclair (dan.sinclair at vuw.ac.nz). Our other team members include:
Di Tracey (NIWA) (di.tracey at niwa.co.nz)
Erik Behrens (NIWA) (erik.behrens at niwa.co.nz)
Stewart Fallon (ANU) (stewart.fallon at anu.edu.au)



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