Postdoc position: “Future-proofing low trophic aquaculture systems with marine macrophytes”

Job Details

The advertised postdoc position at NIOZ in Yerseke and the DCC in Vlissingen is part of the transdisciplinary Iconic Project “δelta Protein”. It will study how the transition from animal protein to low-trophic (e.g., shellfish, plant) protein-based diets can be facilitated. This will be done by exploring the conditions needed for this transition, as well as the challenges that need to be overcome and the opportunities that will arise, all within the province of Zeeland. The project covers legal, social, technical, ecological and implementation aspects. The postdoc is expected to actively collaborate with members of the “δelta Protein” consortium, as well as stakeholders from companies, governmental agencies, and NGOs.

THE POSITION

Within the “δelta Protein” project, novel insights are needed to facilitate the transition to a sustainable, climate change-resilient food system based on low trophic protein sources, cultivated in a nature-inclusive manner in the marine environment in Zeeland. The postdoc will use field and mesocosm-based experiments in combination with ecophysiological, molecular and microbial ecological approaches (incl. 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding, bioinformatics) to assess how seagrass may improve the health of low trophic aquaculture (LTA) species (e.g. mussels, oysters) under future climate scenarios. This is an innovative nature-inclusive approach to develop future-proof, sustainable methods to produce healthier and higher quality seafood, and to improve seafood security, human health, and the environment.

Requirements

THE CANDIDATE

• You hold a PhD degree in marine ecology, molecular / microbial ecology or related disciplines (awarded prior to the start date of the project).

• You have experience in organizing and conducting fieldwork, and in performing molecular labwork.

• You have a demonstrated ability to work with R for data analysis. Experience with, or a keen interest to learn, the analysis of metabarcoding data (e.g. 16S rRNA) is desired.

• You have good scientific writing skills as demonstrated by first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.

• You are comfortable presenting your research for both scientific and non-scientific audiences.

• You are a teamplayer, able to work in a transdisciplinary research environment, with excellent communication skills and an open collaborative attitude. You have a very good command of spoken and written English. Because of interactions with regional stakeholders, a good command of Dutch will be a plus; Dutch language courses will be offered to the appointed candidate through the NIOZ Academy - for personal and professional development.

Contact Information

Where to apply

https://academicpositions.com/ad/nioz-royal-netherlands-institute-for-sea-resea…