May 12th, 2010 
Five Phd positions in Ecology and Environmental Chemistry to the strategic marine research program ECOCHANGE
ECOCHANGE is a governmental strategic marine research program at Umeå University (UmU) in Sweden in collaboration with the Linnaeus University in Kalmar, Sweden. Ecosystem dynamics in the Baltic Sea is studied in a climate change perspective. The effect of climate related changes on lower and higher trophic levels are investigated in a north-south gradient in the Baltic Sea, as well as effects on bioavailiability of pollutants and their potential to change food web function. It is an interdisciplinary project spanning from ecology and chemistry to environmental science. Within this strategic program we now announce 7 positions:
PhD student position in Ecology: Influence of land on marine ecosystem drivers and microbial communities.
We are looking for an aquatic microbial ecologist with a keen interest to understand how variation in river run-off influences marine ecosystem drivers, e.g. bio-optics and CNP concentrations, and microbial communities and productivity. The project will involve both comparative studies as well as experimental studies along a north-south gradient in the Baltic Sea to elucidate the effect of river inflow on phytoplankton and bacterial productivity and community compositions.
PhD student position in Environmental Chemistry: Sources of Baltic Sea pollution
We are looking for a chemist with good competence in environmental science and mathematics/statistics.The project is focused on finding methods for tracing significant pollution sources to the Baltic Sea. Chemical analyses of Baltic air and sediment cores will be conducted, and the data will be evaluated using various multivariate modeling techniques. The aim is to identify and apportion pollution sources and to increase knowledge and understanding on spatial and temporal trends.
PhD student position in Environmental Chemistry: Bioavailability of pollutants and effects on ecosystem function.
We are looking for a chemist with good environmental and/or analytical chemistry competence.
The project is focused on climate-induced changes on the bioavailability of pollutants and related ecosystem functions at lower trophic levels. Studied chemicals will be biologically active environmental pollutants, e.g. health drugs and biocides. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) will be used as reference substances.
PhD student position in Ecology: Environmental monitoring and sampling designWe are looking for a candidate in ecology, natural geography or similar with some background in statistics. Focus will be to evaluate common sensors to estimate biomass and activity in the planktonic food web. This includes statistical evaluations of environmental data from historic time series, and extensive measurements in the lab and in contrasting environments, from estuaries to the open sea. The achieved knowledge will be used to design monitoring programs in different time scales with automatic sensors.
PhD student position in Ecology: Modeling marine microbial production
We are looking for a person with a mathematical, and/or microbiological alignment, who is interested in food web modeling. The long-term goal of this project is to develop a model to predict the complex effects of climate change on the production at lower trophic levels in the Baltic Sea. Work tools will, for example, be compilation of results from experiments to reveal complex mechanisms, available field data to elucidate environmental changes in the Baltic Sea, and to execute modeling simulations to make future predictions.
http://www.umu.se/english/about-umu/open-positions
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