PostDoc Iron and phosphate dynamics in coastal sediments under natural and human

The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals.

PostDoc "Iron and phosphate dynamics in coastal sediments under natural and human pressure" (m/f/d)

Background

Sediment redox conditions determine the presence of dissolved iron (Fe) and various solid Fe phases and thus regulate not only the exchange of Fe with the water column, but also the release of adsorbed phosphate (P). As Fe and P are often limiting nutrients for primary productivity, e.g. in the Southern Ocean and the North Sea, it is of importance to understand how anticipated climatic and anthropogenic changes, i.e. a changing cryosphere in southern polar regions and anthropogenic nutrient input to the North Sea, affect the sediment redox conditions and thus the availability and fluxes of Fe and P in the coastal seas, as well as benthic and pelagic communities.

We seek to investigate the Fe/P dynamics across different sediment types, ranging from carbon-poor permeable sands to carbon-rich, fine-grained mud, to understand how temporal variability of redox conditions (high in sands – low in mud) control Fe/P turnover in shelf sediments. Specifically we aim to understand how such Fe/P dynamics are distorted in coastal environments that undergo rapid changes. This includes the effect of increased particulate Fe and organic carbon flux towards the sediment due to increased melt water runoff and decreased sea ice cover in the Southern Ocean, as well as the changing N/P stoichiometry of river runoff into populated coastal seas. In close cooperation with HZG, it is planned to approach the research topic by combining ship-based field measurements and experimental work with nutrient and Fe analytics and mathematical modeling.

The position is part of our recruiting initiative AWI INSPIRES - INternational Science Program for Integrative Research in Earth Systems. AWI INSPIRES aims at strengthening our new research program “Changing Earth, Sustaining our Future”. Details about all open positions and the general application requirements can be found at

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Tasks

• Planning and conducting field measurements to determine Fe and P distribution in relation to grain size distribution, organic carbon content and oxygen penetration in coastal sediments.
• Designing and implementing experiments to determine Fe and P retention/release from permeable sands and impermeable fine sediments.
• Measure Fe isotopes in pore and bottom water to assess benthic Fe release.
• Developing a conceptual model for Fe and P fluxes between sediments and bottom water.
• Merging and analyzing the retrieved data, publishing of results.

Requirements

• PhD in geoscience, bioscience or environmental sciences or related fields.
• Expertise in benthic mineralization processes and iron cycling.
• Expertise in reaction rate and flux measurements.
• Knowledge in nutrient and trace metal analysis.
• Knowledge in isotope geochemistry.
• Willingness and capability to participate in seagoing expeditions.

Further Information

For further information please contact
Dr. Moritz Holtappels
(moritz.holtappels@awi.de, +49(471)4831-2030)
or
Prof. Dr. Sabine Kasten
(Sabine.Kasten@awi.de, +49(471)4831-1936).
This is a full-time position, limited to 3 years. It is also suitable for part-time employment. The salary will be paid in accordance with the German “Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Federation” (Tarifvertrag des öffentlichen Dienstes, TVöD Bund), up to salary level

13
. The place of employment will be
Bremerhaven.
Postdocs can register with AWI’s postdoc office
, thereby gaining access to a set of tailor made career development tools.

This characterizes us

• our scientific success - excellent research.
• collaboration and cooperation - intra-institute, national and international, interdisciplinary.
• opportunities to develop – on the job, aiming at other positions and beyond AWI.
• a culture of reconciling work and family – audited, and even more than that.
• our outstanding research infrastructure – ships, stations, aircraft, laboratories and more.
• an international environment – everyday contacts with people from all over the world.
• having an influence – fundamental research with social and political relevance
• flat hierarchies – freedom and responsibility.
• exciting topics – also in technology, administration and infrastructure.

Equal opportunities are an integral part of our personnel policy and we encourage women to apply.
Disabled applicants will be given preference when equal qualifications are present. The AWI fosters the compatibility of work and family through various means. Because of our engagement in the area of work-life compatibility we have been awarded the certificate “Career and Family”.

We look forward to your application!

Please forward your application with letter of motivation explaining why you want to join one of our research areas, two letters of recommendation and a list of publications by

February 16
th
, 2020
exclusively online.
Selected candidates will be invited to present their research ideas and motivation during the “Annual recruitment days”, planned from 16 to 24 March 2020 in Bremerhaven, Germany.

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