The department of Estuarine & Delta Systems (EDS - location Yerseke) of the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (Royal NIOZ) is looking for a highly motivated PhD candidate to fulfil a 4-year position.
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 DEPARTEMENT
The department of Estuarine and Delta Systems (EDS, NIOZ-Yerseke) studies how the interplay between biota, hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and biochemistry shape the estuarine, deltaic and coastal environments within the context of natural and human-induced environmental changes. Our department assigns central importance to a multidisciplinary approach that combines state-of-the-art biophysical, biochemical, ecological and physiological measurements and experiments with remote sensing and numerical modelling to create in-depth understanding of the processes that control estuarine and delta systems. One important focus for the department is how our research can create value for society.
THE PROJECT
Estuaries around the world, including in the Netherlands, have been heavily altered by human engineering such as dams and dikes. These interventions have sharply separated saline and freshwater zones, disrupting natural tidal and salinity gradients. As a result, unique ecosystems like tidal wetlands and floodplain forests—once sustained by dynamic interactions between tides and shifting salinity—have been greatly reduced. This ecological loss not only affects biodiversity, but also weakens the natural resilience of estuarine landscapes, making them more vulnerable to climate-related stresses such as sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion.
This project investigates how habitat-forming wetland and floodplain-forest plants modify their habitat and shape their landscape, thereby contributing to plant diversity and ecosystem resilience. By combining modelling and field studies at both large estuary and small wetland scales, we aim to understand how habitat modification allow species to survive in a tidal and episodically salt environment, to help restore and maintain high-diversity flood forest habitats that are resilient to the direct and indirect effects of climate change. The project will focus on the tidal flood forest of the Biesbosch (strongly degraded) and the Oude Maas (more natural conditions), and the de-embankments along the wooded parts of the Rhine-Meuse estuary.
THE VACANCY
In this PhD position, you will build ecosystem models to study how the formation of tidal creeks influences tidal wetland conditions, affecting species growth and diversity, and confront the model with an empirical study of habitat development in the Biesbosch and/or the Oude Maas. You will study how historical changes along the Rhine-Meuse estuary, from a semi-natural inland-delta to a strongly constrained current-day “grienden”-wetlands, affected estuarine conditions (tidal and salt gradients) and landscape development. You will use the models to help restore endangered flood forest habitats along the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt estuaries.
THE CANDIDATE
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with an MSc degree in the field of ecology/biology, geology, physical geography or civil engineering, with a keen interested in studying the functioning of ecosystems. A good understanding of numerical modelling (differential equations to describe plant growth, water flow, etc) is a prerequisite. Candidates should be capable of planning and organising their own work independently, to build models, organize and carry out field experiments, and meet deadlines imposed by the project. Good English oral and writing skills are demanded, as the candidate must publish the findings in scientific journals and effectively communicate results to users.
NIOZ wants to be 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.
- 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 annualized holiday hours for a full-time 40-hour work week.
- 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. Yerseke is located on commuting distance from major cities such as Antwerpen, Breda, Bergen op Zoom and Middelburg.
MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Dr. Johan van de Koppel. For additional information about the procedure, please send an e-mail to [email protected]
This vacancy will be listed up to and including the 30st of June
