Post doctoral position (2 years) focused on phytoplankton adaptation to seawater browning

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, EMG, Umeå University, is opening a post doc position, a two year employment on fulltime, to study phytoplankton adaptation to coastal browning. The employment is expected to start at January 15th, 2022 or according to agreement.  Closing date for applications is December 6th, 2021. 

Project description
Coastal zones in the Baltic are dynamic environments due to complex hydrology and influence from both land and offshore water. The water is colored brown by the large inflow of terrestrial originated freshwater. This leads to relatively bad light conditions for phytoplankton. Climate change is expected to cause an increased inflow of colored organic matter to the Baltic, which will worsen the light conditions. This can affect the phytoplankton community in a number of ways, for example by altering the chlorophyll a content, the cell size and the mode of nutrition.

In this project we will use statistical analyses to disentangle effects of browning and other environmental factors on the phytoplankton community in coastal-offshore and north-south gradients in the Baltic Sea. We will analyze the link between the phytoplankton metagenomics, taxonomic composition, size structure and mode of nutrition and different environmental factors, e.g. humic substances, nutrients, salinity and temperature. The project will include the analyses of existing datasets from the Baltic Sea.

Qualifications
A person who has been awarded a doctorate or a foreign qualification is deemed to be the equivalent of a doctorate qualifies for employment as a postdoctoral fellow. Priority should be given to candidates who have completed their doctoral degree no more than three years before the closing date of the application. A candidate who has completed their degree prior to this may be considered if special circumstances exist. Special circumstances include absence due to illness, parental leave or clinical practice, appointments of trust in trade unions or similar circumstances. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

The candidate should have a PhD degree in environmental sciences or phytoplankton ecology. Good ability to co-operate as well as to work independently and take initiative are required. Good skills in written and spoken English are required.

It is a requirement that the candidate has experience in phytoplankton ecology, molecular work and bioinformatics. Experience with large-scale sequence analysis is a merit, including familiarity with phylogenetic analyses, statistics and programming (e.g. Linux, R, Python).

Application
The full application should include:

• A cover letter describing why you are interested in the project and your suitability (max. 2 pages).
• A CV, including a list of your publications Copies of your doctoral thesis and relevant publications (maximum 5)
• Certified copy of doctoral degree certificate and other relevant certified degree certificates.
• Any other documents you wish to refer to.

Contact
For more information, contact Professor Agneta Andersson ([email protected],
Tel: +46 90 7869845).

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (www.emg.umu.se) carries out research and postgraduate education in ecology, environmental science and physical geography. The department has about 150 employees, about 15 of whom are post-docs.