PhD Scholarship in Fish Ecophysiology and Ecology

A fully funded 3-year PhD position in experimental Fish Ecophysiology and Ecology is open at DTU Aqua in Denmark (Lyngby campus). The successful candidate will join the research group of Senior Researcher Jane W. Behrens, as part of a grant from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) aimed at unravelling the effects of moderate hypoxia and food quality on growth of cod. We need to understand and quantify the drivers behind the observed decline in growth and nutritional health of cod in the eastern and western Baltic stocks, to support management strategies and evaluate recovery potential. 

You will join a supportive and vibrant work environment at DTU Aqua, where your PhD will be based in the Section for Marine Living Resources. Your main supervisor will be Senior Researcher Jane W. Behrens (fish ecophysiologist). You will be co-supervised by Associate Professor Mikael van Deurs (fish ecologist) and researcher Kim Birnie-Gauvin (fish ecophysiologist). 

The position is open to both national and international applicants. 

Responsibilities and qualifications

The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting experimental research on cod responses to suboptimal oxygen conditions, and for collecting and analyzing stomach data from cod in the central Baltic Sea and also in the Åland Sea, where cod thrive and become large.    

Your primary tasks and opportunities will be to: 

• Design, establish and run experiments on responses of cod to moderate hypoxia, including measurements of metabolic rate (respirometry) and determination of specific growth rate and swimming behavior  
• Contribute to the day-to-day running of the lab (e.g. feed and maintain fish)
• Do field samplings of cod for stomach analysis, and collect main prey of cod, for analysis of stable isotope profiles
• Analyze data in R
• Write manuscripts for publication in scientific journals and inclusion in your PhD thesis
• Attend conferences to present your research and expand your academic network
• Be involved in research abroad (e.g. field work and collaborative projects)

The ideal candidate is a highly motivated individual that can document a strong interest in Fish Physiology within an Ecologically relevant context. You are expected to conduct rigorous experiments and data analyses, participate in field samplings and analysis of collected data, possess a strong scientific integrity, and have the ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English. While some aspects of the PhD project are fixed (see bullet points above), the final project will be developed in collaboration with the supervisors, and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence the project based on their own ideas. Prior experience in working with fish in an experimental context is considered an asset, and proven skills in statistical analysis are expected (preferably in R).   

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree. 

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 24 March 2024 (23:59 Danish time). 

To view the full announcement and to apply, click the 'Apply' button above.