14 May 2024
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung- Research Field
Environmental science- Researcher Profile
Recognised Researcher (R2)
Established Researcher (R3)- Country
Germany- Application Deadline
10 Jun 2024 - 07:05 (UTC)- Type of Contract
To be defined- Job Status
Other- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by an EU programme- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
Area of research:
Scientific / postdoctoral posts
Job description:PostDoc for Urchin mass mortality (HIPP25 Pos #3) (m/f/d)
Overview
In order to address questions of global importance related to functional marine biodiversity, marine conservation and effective governance, the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) has created an integrative postdoc pool, HIPP. This aims to stimulate a holistic, innovative and interdisciplinary research environment to attend to the most pressing questions facing the marine environment: for nature and people combined, The HIPP offers postdoctoral scientists the opportunity to develop their own research ideas and to actively shape their scientific careers. For each call, we set a topical context in order to foster interconnection and collaborations between postdocs.
For this call, we seek to hire a strong team of researchers, open and enthusiastic about interdisciplinary work, who will address the theme of “Making sense of tipping points for biodiversity: ecosystem and societal perspectives“ in collaboration with the broader HIFMB community. We envisage a cohort that jointly develops novel research approaches to tipping elements in both natural and societal dimensions. Each of the subprojects (outlined below) shall explicitly work with concepts of connectivity and isolation as well as scale (local to regional). We explicitly encourage asking whether adaptation and adapting – for environments and people - allows avoiding tipping in either emergent properties or single aspects of ecological systems or societal worlds . The entire cohort involves 5 subprojects with 1 postdoc position each.
Background
The significant ongoing change in Earth’s biosphere and the prospect of increasing pressure from climate change on the environment and society require attention. One of the most widely discussed and used concepts is the threshold concept — with the core idea of preventing tipping points to irrevocable change by staying within ‘safe operating spaces’.
In the discourse on planetary boundaries, it has been stated that the Earth has exceeded 6 out of 9 critical planetary boundaries due to anthropogenic impacts. Many questions arise regarding the scale of such boundaries of measurement (global boundaries versus regional and local processes, scale of management) and our ability to predict threshold pressure levels in relation to safe operating spaces. These questions become even more important in the topic of biodiversity change. Multiple dimensions of ecological processes may impair the detectability of tipping behaviour in the environment. At the same time, ecology has already developed a much better understanding of scale-transcending interactions between local processes (species interactions, tolerance to environmental change) and regional processes (dispersal, movement) that shape biodiversity (e.g. in terms of metacommunity concepts). One of the exciting results of this research is that biodiversity loss can be prevented both by spatial rescue effects (immigration of new biodiversity) between localities or by local adaptation within, but both processes affect each other.
Moreover, when the concept of tipping points (in the narrow sense of characterizing certain dynamics) is moved towards the policy domains, novel constructs emerge. Limits are suggested, recommended, promoted and even enforced through socio-political processes. They are made by people, and also impact people (unequally and not always positively), complicating potential action of environmental measures . For societies, there is also a relationship between the global and the local in governance, i.e. are the problems facing specific sites in the oceans best governed through focus on the oceans themselves or rather on the drivers of these changes which may derive far beyond these areas, on land? A critical question is also when societies themselves are “tipped” into action. What role does time play in responding to a changing world?
Tasks
Subproject 3 will address the recent urchin mass mortality event has been spreading from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, Red Sea and is affecting various locations on the east coast of Africa. Recent studies reported that mainly urchins of the genus Diadema have been affected with mortality, which die within 2-3 days (Diadema setosum, Diadema savignyi). Mortality rate in most populations has been 65 -90%. Recent reports from Zanzibar, Tanzania, indicate that other urchins are also affected (Echinothrix mathai), increasing the impact on reef communities. Urchins have been recognized as the major grazers on many coral reefs, controlling algal growth and proliferation. By limiting algal growth and proliferation they provide space for slow growing organisms such as corals and opening space for settlement. However, at high population densities, urchins can cause substantial bioerosion and reef degradation.
The project aims to investigate the continued spreading of the mass mortality along the East coast of Africa and other locations, by monitoring urchin population pre- and post-urchin mass mortality events. The postdoctoral scholar will also investigate the genomics of urchin populations to determine genetic traits of infected, uninfected and surviving populations. Sampling of infected urchins throughout the impacted areas will determine if the same vector is causing the disease (e.g. ciliate and possible associated microbial communities). Post-disease monitoring will assess the effects on coral reef communities (e.g. changes in benthic cover). Finally, the postdoctoral scholar will combine reef monitoring of urchin populations and benthic cover, population genetics and microbial techniques to verify the disease vector and model the spread of the disease.
Requirements
- PhD in Marine Biology, Ecology, Evolution or another related discipline (at the time of taking up the position)
- Experience in epidemiology or genomics or microbiology, and ecological field studies on coral reefs
- Knowledge in conducting field work using SCUBA in remote locations required, modelling disease outbreaks desirable
- Track record of scientific publications
- Excellent oral and written English skills
- Enjoy work in an international community
The HIPP fosters networking between marine institutions and this project involves PIs from HIFMB and international collaborators on various tasks. HIFMB further strives for transformation and bridging the science-policy interface. Therefore, experience or interest in transfer activities is a plus.
Further Information
The AWI is characterized by
The AWI is characterized by
- our scientific success - excellent research
- collaboration and cooperation - intra-institute, national and international, interdisciplinary
- opportunities to develop – on the job and towards other positions
- an international environment – everyday contact with people from all over the world
- flexible working hours
- health promotion and company fitness
- support services and a culture of reconciling work and family
- occupational pension provision (VBL)
Equal opportunities are an integral part of our personnel policy. The AWI aims to increase the number of employees who are women, and therefore, strongly encourages qualified women to apply.
Applicants with disabilities will be given preference when equal qualifications are present.
The AWI fosters the compatibility of work and family in various ways and has received a number of awards as a result of this engagement.
This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.
Requirements
Additional Information
- Website for additional job details
https://recruitingapp-5442.de.umantis.com/Vacancies/1709/Description/2?lang=eng
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
- Country
- Germany
- City
- Oldenburg
- Geofield
Where to apply
[email protected]- Website
https://recruitingapp-5442.de.umantis.com/Vacancies/1709/Description/2?lang=eng
Contact
- City
Bremerhaven- Website
http://www.awi.de/en- Street
Am Handelshafen 12- Postal Code
27570
[email protected]- Phone
+49 471 4831-0- Fax
+49 471 4831-1149
STATUS: EXPIRED