PhD studentships - various, School of Marine Science and Technology
PhD studentships - various, School of Marine Science and Technology
The Ocean Research Group in the School of Marine Science and Technology (MAST), University of Newcastle upon Tyne, invites applications for the following PhD projects within the UKSOLAS initiative.
1. Air-sea gas-exchange studies during UKSOLAS
Proessor. R.C. Upstill-Goddard (MAST), Dr. P.D. Nightingale (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, PML)
The rate of air-sea gas exchange is a dominant or important term in global biogeochemical cycles, and is required for developing the predictive biogeochemical models needed to quantify regional and global scale trace gas fluxes and feedbacks. Despite this it remains a major uncertainty in global change science.
This studentship, to be based at Newcastle but with study periods at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, will directly address this issue through multidisciplinary gas exchange experiments in the open ocean. The successful candidate will optimize state-of-the-art methods, including air-sea gas exchange measurements with gaseous tracers, gas chromatography, complex system design and maintenance, and the development of methods for surfactant deployment and analysis. He/she will be required to participate in two five-week long research cruises in the North Atlantic Ocean, which provides opportunities to work within the stimulating multidisciplinary research framework of UKSOLAS and to interact with leading UK and international marine and atmospheric scientists.
2. The Role of the Bacterioneuston in Air-Sea Gas Exchange
Professor R.C. Upstill-Goddard (MAST), Proessor .J.C. Murrell (Biological Sciences, University. of Warwick)
Transport across the sea-surface microlayer (Bacterioneuston) is the major rate-limiting step in air-sea gas exchange. This region is only tens of microns thick yet it is chemically and microbiologically distinct from the underlying water; in particular bacterial numbers are considerably greater than in subsurface waters. The bacterioneuston thus has the potential to impact reactive trace gas cycling and sea-air exchange, although direct evidence is limited.
We have made progress in identifying bacterioneuston community structure using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and have used gas exchange tank experiments to investigate its impact on air-sea gas exchange. The successful candidate will consolidate this success using a combination of state-of-the-art molecular and gas exchange techniques in order to more fully characterise the bacterioneuston community and evaluate its role in global trace gas cycling. He/she will be based at Newcastle, where the gas exchange tank experiments will be carried out, but will undertake study visits to Warwick in order to learn relevant molecular ecology techniques. There will be opportunities to collect samples of coastal seawater using the MAST research vessel Bernicia, and to participate in ocean-going research cruises of up to several weeks duration, funded under UKSOLAS. The latter will provide opportunities for interaction with leading UK and international marine and atmospheric scientists.
Both projects will commence in October 2005. We are a vibrant research team with a record of international excellence in marine biogeochemistry. We focus on the cycling of climatically active trace gases and dissolved organic matter within the context of global change. We have collaborative links with major oceanographic laboratories in the UK and worldwide, and access to state of the art analytical facilities. Further details can be obtained by contacting Professor Rob Upstill-Goddard at rob.goddard@ncl.ac.uk
You should have or expect to obtain a minimum upper second class degree in environmental, physical or geo-sciences, oceanography, microbiology or a related discipline. Previous experience with marine field work, chemical or microbial analyses may be advantageous. Please note that only UK residents will receive full funding from NERC. Full eligibility details are available at www.nerc.ac.uk .
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