PhD position: “Multidisciplinary analyses for understanding the long-term development and daily-dynamics of tidal flats, and its consequences for ecological quality”

The department of Estuarine and Delta Systems at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ) in Yerseke is looking for a highly motivated PhD student with an MSc degree in Physical Geography or Coastal Engineering or Ecology or a related discipline.

THE INSTITUTE

NWO-NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research is the national oceanographic research institute. The mission of NIOZ is to perform academically excellent multidisciplinary fundamental and frontier-applied marine research addressing important scientific and societal questions pertinent to the functioning of oceans and seas. NIOZ also serves as national marine research facilitator (NMF) for The Netherlands scientific community, and stimulates and supports national and international marine research, marine education programs and marine policy development.

THE DEPARTMENT 

The department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke) aims to understand how the interplay between organisms, hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and chemistry shapes the estuarine and delta environment in the context of natural and human-induced environmental changes. An important focus of our research is how these abiotic-biotic interactions create value for society, following for example the "Building with Nature" paradigm or investigating sustainable sources of marine biomass for food. We do frontier applied science, meaning that we link fundamental understanding to societal usage. In doing so, we aim to actively support society with the insights needed for ecosystem conservation, ecosystem restoration, and enhancing ecosystem services (e.g., creating nature-based flood defence, alternative sources of food, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, etc.) all in the face of global change and accelerating sea level rise.

BACKGROUND

Human interventions have greatly affected the geomorphology and ecological functioning of estuaries on a global scale. In the Netherlands, this is clearly seen in the Western Scheldt estuary, which has been significantly narrowed by dike construction up till the 1950’s, while deepening of the channels for navigation continued, together resulting in strong amplification of tidal water levels and currents. The resulting decline in extent and quality of tidal ecosystems has required active measures to restore these valuable areas. This project aims to gain fundamental understanding of the processes driving ecosystem development of newly restored tidal wetlands, in order to improve future restoration measures. The research will consist of a combination of field measurements on muddy tidal flats, manipulative experiments to study sediment formation, and (Delft-3D) modelling for system integration. Overall, this should yield improved understanding of the (eco)system development following restoration measures.

 THE POSITION

In this PhD-position you will combine field measurements and manipulative (field) experiments, with statistical data-analyses and Delft-3D modelling, to resolve the following 4 overarching research goals:

1)     Interpreting the observed sedimentation and erosional trends (via airborne LIDAR and RTK-dGPS datasets) and deriving an outlook for the longer-term morphological evolution, using hydrodynamic Delft-3D modeling;   

2)     Understanding the drivers of daily sediment dynamics at tidal flats, with a focus on the role of (storm) events, and the relative importance of events for sediment properties, sediment accretion and ecology;

3)     In-depth analyses on the effect of drainage on the rate of soil formation, and the resulting (daily) sediment dynamics, and vice versa;

4)     Contextualizing the quality of the developed benthic community, by statistically comparing the community to larger-scale monitoring data from nearby areas, and relating the local community composition to morphological characteristics, (daily) sediment dynamics and drainage patterns.

Overall, this research should not only result in a PhD thesis with scientific publications, but also translate research findings into management recommendations for optimizing the design of future restoration measures. That is, the project explicitly aims to provide the fundamental understanding needed to move from science to practice, supporting future programs aimed at restoring tidal flats.

The research builds on earlier projects, from which a wealth of data are available for further analyses. To get an impression of the type of data that are available and being collected, please see Wiesebron et al. (2024), How restoration engineering measures can enhance the ecological value of intertidal flats. Restoration Ecology 32 (8), e14247.

PhD supervision and support:

As part of a larger integrated multidisciplinary research project, you will collaborate within a team of ecologists, hydrodynamic modelers, and geomorphologists / physical geographers.

The direct PhD supervision will be led by Tjeerd J Bouma (NIOZ-Yerseke & Utrecht Univ.) & Jim van Belzen (NIOZ-Yerseke & WMR) and Jacco C de Smit (HZ). Related to the specific task, you will be guided and supported by project partners that represent different fields of expertise (Delft-3D modelling via Deltares; Benthos community statistics via WMR). All relevant partners will be present in the interview commission.

While modelling, field work, manipulative experiments, and data-analyses are key to the project, you will also be encouraged to contribute to education via guest lectures, organize student field visits, and supervise graduation internships.

THE CANDIDATE

We are looking for someone with an MSc degree in Physical Geography or Coastal Engineering or Ecology or a related discipline. You have a keen interest in biogeomorphology, and combining (Delft-3D) modelling with field work in challenging areas. Good analytical skills (in e.g., R or Python) are a prerequisite, and experience with fieldwork is a benefit. You are capable of planning and organizing your own work independently, and meet deadlines imposed by the project.

Most importantly, you are open and communicative, and keen on interacting with coastal managers and interdisciplinary project partners. You are inspired by frontier-applied research, where fundamental knowledge is developed in order to provide a knowledge base for managers. Excellent communication skills and an open collaborative attitude are essential for the success of the project.

Good English oral and writing skills are demanded, as you are expected to publish the findings in scientific journals, present at (international) conferences, and effectively communicate results to end-users.

NIOZ is a transparent institute with a healthy working climate and an inclusive culture, where people from diverse backgrounds and gender bring their talents and further develop these talents. We aim for inclusive decision-making processes and expect our leadership to show visible commitment, awareness of bias, and cultural intelligence.

 CONDITIONS

• Employment of this full-time position at Royal NIOZ is by NWO-I, for a total duration of 4 years.  You start with an appointment for the duration of 1 year, that, after a positive evaluation in the 9th month, will be extended to the full period of 4 years.

• Salary compliant with scales for PhD candidate (OIOs) CAO-WVOI (Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Research Institutes). 

• An appointment at NIOZ as a PhD candidate means working and learning simultaneously conform the NIOZ PhD policy.  

• 338 hours of paid leave annually, pension scheme via ABP, 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. 

• 2nd class public transportation travel is reimbursed 100%.

• Employment benefits plan to exchange a portion of your salary for days off or vice versa, or can be used to purchase a bicycle with tax benefits.

• We offer relocation expenses for employees coming from abroad and support with finding accommodation.

More information

For additional information about the vacancy, please contact Tjeerd Bouma. For additional information about the procedure, please send an e-mail to working@nioz.nl

Closing date for this vacancy is 18 April