Four PhD Scholarships available
Monday, 26 March 2012
Four Ph.D. scholarships are available as part of a multi-institutional project funded through the Collaborative Research Network involving the Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research (CMER) at Edith Cowan University and The University of Western Australia. The project will examine the processes creating connectivity among coastal marine ecosystems, with a view to quantifying the spatial and temporal extent of connection and informing the spatial management. The students will be enrolled at Edith Cowan University and will be supervised between both Universities.
Two projects will be in the area of eco-hydraulics and two will be in the area of microbial processing and genetic connectivity with opportunities to work in the tropical Kimberley down to the temperate southwest Western Australian coast.
The projects will be in the following areas:
Eco-hydraulics (2 positions)
Seagrass meadows are continuously affected by the ambient hydrodynamics, affecting the ability of meadows to capture particles and for propagules to be dispersed out of the meadows. The hydrodynamic transport of propagules and seagrass wrack determines their fate and impact along the coastal zone. Two PhD projects will investigate this exciting area:
- the first project will involve laboratory investigation of the effects of hydrodynamics on particle capture and meadow residence times. Specifically, we need to know how the timescale of biogeochemical processes compare to the residence time within the meadow (if they are fast, then the process will be important). Little is known about residence times in seagrass meadows under wave-dominated conditions, a gap this project will fill. Using wave flume experiments with transplanted seagrass, this project will investigate the retention times of dissolved nutrients, suspended particles and kelp wrack in seagrass meadows; and
- the second project will develop a conceptual framework for assessing the balance between transport, seagrass degradation and ecological connectivity, linking strongly with the other PhD projects.
Seagrass genetics
The study of connectivity among populations and across habitats leads to a greater understanding of population resilience, genetic divergence, adaptation, speciation, and persistence. Understanding these dynamics is vital for the conservation and management of natural systems. Seagrasses are an important habitat in coastal waters providing significant ecosystems functions. They are clonal plants that show high levels of genotypic diversity and low levels of spatial structuring within regions (<200 km), inferring that they are strongly connected over these scales. Few studies have addressed the level of connectivity of seagrass species in Australia, globally a seagrass diversity hotspot. This project will assess the connectivity of key seagrass species found in Western Australia using molecular techniques. Some experience in molecular laboratory techniques is desirable.
Microbial processing
Although microbes are small in size, they make up a significant proportion of the biomass in aquatic ecosystems and play a major role in energy and material cycling. Despite their importance, relatively little is known about microbial influences on biogeochemical processes in Australian coastal marine ecosystems. Understanding their role is critical for the effective management of our coastal systems. This project will help to elucidate the role of microorganisms in coastal ecosystem processes, particularly in processing detritus in tropical and temperate foodwebs. The project would suit candidates who have previous experience and knowledge in microbial and biogeochemical approaches and techniques. Further, willingness to work in a multi-disciplinary setting and interacting with researchers from both ECU and UWA, and a willingness to acquire new skills outside your main area of expertise would be highly desirable.
Applications
Each student will need to be competitive for an APA or ECU Postgraduate Research Scholarship. Generally, this requires a first class honours or Masters degree in a related area of research. Applicants should have experience working in nearshore marine ecosystems. For the genetics and microbial projects, SCUBA and small boat handling experience and qualifications as well as a drivers license will be required (or applicants will need to acquire qualification before commencing).
The scholarships provide a living allowance of $25,000 p.a. tax-free plus an additional top-up scholarship of $5,000 p.a. (tax free).
Applications should be submitted through the normal ECU scholarships application process by 16 April 2012. For more details, please see the ECU scholarships web page.
All intending applicants must discuss their application with Dr Kathryn McMahon prior to lodging their applications and should identify the project they are applying for.
For more information, please contact Dr Kathryn McMahon on (61 8) 6304 5145 or at k.mcmahon@ecu.edu.au.