PhD or Postdoc position: "Predictive modelling of Benthic habitats to improve regional sea...

THE PROJECT

The research is part of the European project NECCTON (New Copernicus Capability for Trophic Ocean Networks), aiming at the improvement of the European marine models representing the Global Ocean and the European Regional seas.

Focus of the research is on the development and/or improvement of models of benthic biological communities. The approach is to combine mechanistic models that represent the physiology of organisms (e.g. DEB models) with statistical modelling techniques (e.g., niche-based models), to (1) simulate and map the benthic ecosystems, and (2) estimate their feedback on the pelagic system.

The work will focus on habitat building species, on species of particular interest for conservation and on species that are important for fishery and aquaculture (e.g., mussels, macroalgae, seagrasses).

In the final phase of the project, the new modules will be linked to regional biogeochemical models, and the impact of benthic communities on pelagic biogeochemistry and higher trophic levels assessed.

The candidate will be embedded in the (large) CMEMS network of European modelers, that develop an integrated modelling system on the European level. There will be close cooperation with one postdoc that deals with niche modelling (within the NIOZ), and with hydrodynamical modelers from the University of Liege (Prof. Ir. Marilaure Gregoire).

Ultimately the work will improve the ability of the European models to represent the benthic habitats, in a way that is relevant for ocean policy and economic growth.

SUPERVISION

The candidate will be mainly supervised by Prof. Dr. Karline Soetaert  from NIOZ-EDS and Utrecht University (The Netherlands), and in close cooperation with Prof. ir. Marilaure Gregoire  from Liege University (Belgium). Prof. Soetaert is an expert in biological and ecological modelling, and software development; Prof. Gregoire is expert in hydrodynamical modeling, and data assimilation, more specifically in the Black Sea. The PhD thesis will be defended at Utrecht University.