Impact of low flows and intermittency on nutrient and carbon processing in fluvial networks. PhD position within Horizon Europe MSCA Doctoral Network “BEYOND”
This fully funded PhD position is available under the recently launched Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Networks (DN) project “BEYOND” Beyond the current: Improving European flowing waters in an era of global change. BEYOND will train the next generation of water professionals who will deliver scientific and technological innovation across disciplines, institutions and countries needed to solve European water quality problems in an era of global change.
This PhD position aims to investigate the impact of low flows and intermittency on stream metabolic activity, water chemistry and the capacity of streams to process carbon and nutrients. The research involves evaluating the spatiotemporal extent of low-flow conditions and the variability of stream water chemistry across different intermittent fluvial networks. You will use a combination of field and laboratory empirical approaches to measure in-stream carbon and nutrient cycling and associated greenhouse gas emissions. These measurements will help to assess how in-stream bioreactive capacity changes with varying land uses and hydrological conditions. You will run hydrochemical models to explore changes in stream water quantity and quality under future scenarios of water scarcity. The insights gained from this work will contribute to the design of more effective water monitoring strategies for intermittent fluvial networks and provide recommendations to water stakeholders for ensuring water quality in these highly vulnerable aquatic systems.
As part of this PhD position, you will have an opportunity to take part in short visits and secondments to BEYOND partners (Institut Agro Agrocampus Ouest Rennes, France; Teagasc-Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland; and others) for additional training and knowledge exchange.
The project will be supervised by Susana Bernal (Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes from the Spanish Research Council, CEAB-CSIC) and co-supervised by Per-Erik Mellander (Teagasc-Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland) and Ophélie Fovet (French Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, INRAE, Rennes, France).
The position duration is three years. You will be based at the Center of Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) (https://www.ceab.csic.es/es/) located in Blanes, Spain
More information on the BEYOND project and PhD selection process can be found at the following websites: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101169293 and https://www.slu.se/beyond
E-mail sbernal@ceab.csic.es
The applicants must fill out the BEYOND application form following the URL below
forms.gle/rKrwomLcZr7Dwm9L9